Don't Promise Tomorrow
by Aerys Krystie
Summary: Zero returns after disappearing for three month, and he is no longer a vampire. Kaname has questions and a rival for Zero's affections. Eventual KaZe.
1. Prologue

**~Don't Promise Tomorrow~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie.

**Theme:** AU.

**Plot:** Kaname finds that he has a rival for Zero's affections. Things get crazy and some shit blows up. As long as you're standing after the last secret is revealed…that's the only thing that matters, right?

**Warnings:** I'm not entirely sure so I'll just go with the two major ones I'm known for: Yaoi, OOC and OCs. I'll post the warnings at the beginning of each chapter. ^^

**Disclaimer:** Everything of and referring to Vampire Knight _is not_ mine. I make no profit from this story (should be shot for thinking it much less posting it!). I guess I claim some rights to my – hey! A balloon!

**A/N:** Again, I know people don't like OCs and to be honest, neither do I! So please don't ask why I've got OCs in this story because I honestly have no idea! Apart from the fact that they add to the plot instead of taking from it (well, maybe a little. I try to focus as little on them as possible). So, if you don't like OCs and will flame me because of that, please be advised that the joke is on you. With all of that said, please enjoy the story!

Also, the length of the chapters will vary, depending on how much bullshit I can put into it before I get bored! ^^

~ * ~  
Prologue.

Kaname stood at his bedroom window, looking out. Figures in the distance called his attention. He could see the late afternoon sun reflecting off bright hair and knew that Zero was back. How long had it been since he last saw the moody Hunter? At least three months, when the Hunter Association called him away for a mission. What kind of a mission lasts three months? Zero was a dedicated Hunter and it wouldn't take the platinum teen that long to eradicate vampires.

Kaname's eyes were drawn to the other two with the prefect. One of them had a bounce in their step and the other seemed to have a confident stride. The confident one stopped and lifted an arm, shielding their eyes against the sun. Kaname stared back and turned away from the window, getting dressed for class. It would be good to have Zero back doing the prefect duties. Because of Zero's absence Yuuki was having a more difficult time keeping the fan girls back and it was obvious that she was worrying about her normal partner.

For the duration of Zero's leave, the Chairman had asked Yuuki's friend Yori to fill in for Zero. It seemed Yori and Zero had a lot in common when it came to the fan girls. All it took was a glare – even though Yori's wasn't as effective as Zero's usually are – and the fan girls would fall back into line. Of course, minor details had been left out and Yori had no idea what she was protecting the fan girls from. Kaname thanked them on a daily basis. Yuuki would blush and Yori would just nod at him. On occasion, Kaname would hope that when he stepped out, Yori wouldn't be there and Zero would have returned. At least that day he would be able to see the Hunter.

Kaname buttoned his vest as he thought. When he first noticed that Zero was gone, he had gone to seen the Chairman and soon found out that not even Kaien knew what was going on. Kaien had tried to play it down but Kaname could see that the ex-Hunter was just as worried as he was. There was no telling what the Association would do to Zero, even if he was one of their own. He was still a Level D ex-human that could be used for dangerous missions. After the first month, Kaname made frequent visits to the Headmaster's office and was told that while they had Zero with them they were sending him out weekly and it would be easier for him to stay at their headquarters than to travel to and from the school every week.

That didn't matter anymore. Zero was back and he looked to be in perfect health. Of course, three months was a long time for Zero to go without being fed and Kaname's fingers gently stroked the left side of his throat. It had been too long since he had felt Zero's teeth sinking into his flesh and after three months, Kaname was tempted to have a few of his followers on call. He got the feeling that once Zero was through with him, the Hunter would be able to easily kill him. Three months was a long time for anyone.

Kaname pulled on his jacket and glanced at the window. Who were the other two with Zero and why was he bringing to Cross Academy? Were they other Hunters? No, they couldn't be. There wasn't any reason for the Association to send two more Hunters to the school. Nothing had happened for them to think that the humans needed more protection. Kaname was certain of it. He had been keeping a closer eye on the vampires at the school. Yuuki couldn't bring herself to do too much harm to the creatures of the night and while Aidou despised Zero, the vampire genius was still weary of the death that Zero would do to him.

Kaname turned away from the window and picked up his books, leaving his room. He could hear the others downstairs, waiting for him. Seiren was waiting for him and together they descended the stairs. Ruka greeted him and Kaname smiled at her, sending back the greeting. The fan girls were being more energetic that day and Kaname figured it had something to do with the weekend. He could hear Yuuki's small voice trying to get some order and Yori backing her up.

"Shall we go, then?" Kaname went over to the doors and opened them, stepping out.

Discretely, Kaname sniffed the air, hoping to catch Zero's scent. It was around but that was because he had returned to the school but it wasn't strong enough to be outside the gates, which meant that Kaname wasn't going to see him until the next evening, most likely. That put a damper on the pureblood's mood a little but he didn't let it show as the gates opened. The fan girls got themselves organized and Aidou was the first out, asking questions and being an all-round general flirt with the girls. Kaname smiled at the prefects and thanked them.

_Was that a bell?_ Kaname glanced at a tree and saw a person sitting on one of the branches. His eyes were closed as a breeze blew by him, ruffling his hair and the sound of the bell jingled through the air. The pureblood didn't stop but faced forward. Whoever that student was, he was a weird one and he wasn't in a uniform, either. Was it possible that he was one of the two that Kaname had seen walking with Zero? It was a possibility and he knew it wouldn't leave him alone. After classes, maybe it would be a good idea to go and see the Headmaster.

Kaname stopped walking and glanced over his shoulder. The fan girls has dispersed but the boy in the tree hadn't budged. It seemed the prefects didn't know he was there, either as he hadn't heard Yori or Yuuki order him back to the dorm. Kaname told his followers to continue on to class. After a few moments of hesitation, they nodded and continued walking without their leader. Kaname went over to the tree and stood under the branch, looking up at the boy, who was dressed in black jeans, a black shirt and had a black hat on. _I guess he has a fascination with black._ Was that kid wearing makeup?

Kaname studied the closed eyes and came to the conclusion that yes, the boy in the tree was wearing at least eyeliner. "Did you know that the higher you climb in a tree, the less likely you are to fall to your death?" the boy asked randomly.

Kaname blinked. "I do find that hard to believe as the higher you go, the thinner the branches are. That would make it more likely for you to fall."

The boy smiled and shook his head, the bell jingling with the movement and Kaname found where it was. The boy had a thin plait on the right side of his head and the bell was attached to the end of it. "I know that but your chances of falling increase. The chances of your death decrease."

Kaname nodded. "Thank you for that small lesson. May I ask who you are, little one?" He noticed that the boy had yet to open his eyes and see who he was addressing. For all that boy knew it could have been a teacher that he was talking to.

The boy flashed a grin. "I'm no-one; just another Day Class student. I should say 'soon-to-be' Day Class student. And you would be Kuran Kaname, right? The Dorm President for the Moon Dorm. With all the stories I had heard about you, I expected you to be bigger."

"How would you know, little one? You haven't opened your eyes since I saw you." Kaname waited patiently as the boy sighed and slowly opened his eyes. Kaname's own wine hues flickered from sapphire to emerald. The boy seriously looked as though he had taken Takuma's left eye and Rima's right eye. "Will you tell me your name, little one, as even nobodies have that sort of identification."

The boy leapt off the branch and landed in front of Kaname, grinning up at him. His mix-matched eyes sparkling with mischief. "You were going to see the Headmaster after class, anyway. He should tell you who I am and who the other one is. I saw you watching us as we came in."

So he was one of them. Kaname stared at the hat. Was there really any need to be wearing it? It seemed like an annoying accessory. Ah, so that boy was the one with the confident stride. Kaname smiled down at him. "I really do prefer to have the person introduce themselves to me. Or would you prefer it if I continued to call you 'little one'?"

The boy blinked and took in the height difference. There was only eight or so inches difference. At least he wasn't as tiny as Yuuki. The blue eye was hidden as the boy closed that lid and put his hands behind his head, sticking his tongue out a little before saying, "Shouldn't you be saying that to Yuuki-chan, Kuran-san?"

Kaname took in the boy's laidback posture and figured he couldn't be from the Association as the Hunters had no idea how to relax. Zero was proof enough of that and the boy obviously had no idea who and what he was talking to. Did the Association send Zero on a baby-sitting job for three months? Is that why they never told anyone what was going on because that was the best job they could give to one of their best Hunters? Or did Zero find them and decide to show compassion? It didn't seem possible for the boy's parents to not look for him and the heterochromia made him stand out easily. _It is very rare for complete heterochromia._ Kaname blinked as the boy giggled.

"My eyes aren't that uncommon in cats, Kuran-san." Kaname frowned and the boy shrugged. "You were staring at my eyes without seeing them. I figured you were thinking about them. Everyone does." His head snapped to the left suddenly, the bell tinkling. "Zero!"

Kaname's eyes widened a fraction as the boy ran off and jumped onto the Hunter's back. Zero hadn't killed that boy yet? _What happened in those three months?_ Kaname's face went blank again as he watched Zero with the boy. Kaname raised an eyebrow slightly as the boy nuzzled the back of Zero's head. Kaname lowered his eyes, trying to understand how it was even possible that Zero was putting up with that. Yuuki appeared out of nowhere and ran over to her 'brother' and hugged him. Kaname blinked as Zero returned the gesture and stroked her brown hair.

Kaname glanced at the boy, who was staring back at him, smirking. The boy didn't look adorable anymore. In fact, smirking at him that way, the boy looked rather unattractive. His unusual eyes flashed in a silent challenge and Kaname knew what was going through the boy's mind. If it was a fight that new student wanted, he would get it. After all, Kaname had the ability to make Zero bend to his will without even trying and Kaname wasn't going to let some punk try to outdo him, a pureblood. Zero introduced the boy to Yuuki and Kaname headed off to class.

His walk was put on hold as he caught the scent of blood. It wasn't like any sort of blood Kaname had ever smelt before. It was strange and it seemed like an acquired taste. He looked over to where Zero and the boy were and saw that Yuuki was placing a plaster around the boy's finger. Zero scolded the boy, who nodded and Yuuki yelled at Zero about being more nice towards people as it wasn't the boy's fault. _What name did she use? She didn't use one. I really will have to get it from the Headmaster._ Kaname studied Zero for a minute or two longer, curious.

There hadn't been any hint of bloodlust in Zero's eyes at the scent of blood. It shouldn't matter how bizarre the scent of it was; blood was blood. Was Zero trying to fend it off again? Kaname really couldn't allow that. He knew how much it would crush Yuuki if he had to kill Zero but at the same time, it would be better for him to di…Kaname couldn't bring himself to finish that thought. When his eyes focused again, he saw that Zero was staring right at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Class started over twenty minutes ago, Kuran. You better hurry along. We can't have you failing calculus."

Kaname glanced up at the rapidly darkening sky then gazed back at Zero, a small smile forming over his lips. "I know that, Kiryu-kun. I was waiting for you to welcome you back. You were greatly missed and I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss my calculus class as I need to see the Headmaster."

Zero frowned slightly and adjusted the boy's legs, which were around his waist. "Didn't you hear? Cross is at the Association."

Yuuki's eyes widened. "Oh, Kaname-senpai! I'm so sorry! I was meant to tell you that before you went to class but the fan girls were being more pushy today than usual!"

Kaname walked over to the other three and ruffled Yuuki's hair. "It's okay, Yuuki. I found out eventually." He turned his eyes to Zero and the boy. "Who is your friend, Kiryu-kun?"

Zero glanced at the boy from the corner of his eyes and the boy shook his head. "Sorry, Kuran. I think he wants you to get that information from the Chairman."

Kaname raised an eyebrow as the boy buried his face into the nape of Zero's neck and looked at him bashfully. Kaname smiled and went to pat the boy's shoulder, stopping when he saw the new student tense. Zero suddenly turned, as if he had sensed what was going to happen. Kaname lowered his hand and bid them all a good evening. _That is going to make things interesting,_ Kaname mused to himself as he headed to his class. He apologized to the teacher for being late and took his seat, staring out the window.

It was two days before Kaien returned to the school and Kaname had only one other encounter with the new student. The vampire had noticed that everyday he was on the same branch of the same tree whenever the Night Class was coming out. His eyes were closed and he always had a hat on. The second time Kaname saw Zero, he noticed that the male prefect was wearing a hood and according to Yuuki the other student, a girl the same age as Yuuki, always wore thick headbands. Kaname was expecting the new students to be weird but he would admit he wasn't expecting that.

The second encounter wasn't really that as such. It was more like the boy suddenly got to his feet, sniffing the air. His eyes lit up and he dropped to the ground. He landed running and Zero cursed, giving chase, after warning the fan girls to stay where they were. The Night Class were in as much shock as anyone else. They discretely sniffed the air and couldn't smell anything that was out of place. Whispers began within the hordes of fan girls about how Zero had taken the new student under his wing and treated him like a brother. Kaname narrowed his eyes and followed the prefect and strange new student.

Kaname found them and the Headmaster near the entrance to the school grounds. The boy had his arms around Kaien's shoulders and was nuzzling his cheek, grinning. Upon sensing him, the boy stepped back and faced him. Kaname knew that Zero was aware they were being followed by him and Kaien smiled at the pureblood. He greeted Kaname and apologized, saying there was something important he had to speak about with his son. Kaname nodded, understanding. The two of them headed towards the Chairman's office and Kaname turned his eyes to the boy.

Kaname turned his eyes back to the boy, who was staring after Kaien and Zero with an odd look on his face. It was almost pained. The boy blinked and smiled at Kaname, jogging past the pureblood. "Don't try to use your powers on Zero, vampire," he said quietly as he continued on his way.

Kaname looked over his shoulder. So he was aware that vampires existed. Who was that kid? How was it possible for a normal Day Class student to know about vampires? He didn't come across as a Hunter and the only thing that Kaname could think of was that the boy had had a history with vampires. He narrowed his eyes and headed to class. He was also aware of the fact that Kaname wasn't a normal vampire, either, judging by the little challenge.

Kaname asked to be excused twenty minutes before class was over. The teacher nodded and Kaname collected his books and took his leave, heading to the Chairman's office. He stopped dead when he saw the boy was hanging around. He walked around in a circle nervously, glancing at the window of the office and chewing on his thumb nail. Kaname tilted his head as he stepped closer, curious as to what could have the boy's attention. He hadn't even noticed that Kaname was around, much less right behind him as he stopped and stared at the glass.

"I don't think Zero will like having to save you daily, little one." Kaname raised an eyebrow slightly as the boy didn't even flinch at someone being so close to him. Maybe he had sensed Kaname but didn't see him as a threat.

"He wouldn't have to. And what makes you think I want Zero like that?" The turned around, hands on his hips.

Kaname chuckled. "I think even Yuuki can see that you want him." His lips curved into a smirk when the boy blushed and hung his head, hoping to hide it. "You are very obvious about your affections."

"I'm not the only one," the boy mumbled. He raised his head to look into Kaname's eyes. "Class isn't over, yet."

Kaname raised an eyebrow. "You almost look adorable when you glare like that." Kaname stepped past the boy, patting his hat and hearing the soft gasp. Kaname paused but didn't look at the kid. "Do you honestly think you've got a chance with him?"

"Every fool has his unreachable dream. Even you, Kaname."

Kaname turned around but the boy was gone. His eyes scanned the area but there was nothing there. There was no trace of him, as though he never existed and Kaname frowned slightly. Something was up and why was the boy hanging around outside? The pureblood looked up at the window and knew the Headmaster was in there. He wasn't alone, either. Without further delay, Kaname knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter.

There was a high-pitched giggle that made Kaname flinch internally. He inhaled deeply and caught the scent of that strange blood and something else. The same scent that had been around the boy. Milk? Yes. Fresh, cold milk. It was sweet in a strange way. The door opened and Kaname blinked down at the girl that was standing there. She grinned and stepped to the side, giving him room to enter.

"Kuran Kaname, right?"

_Ah, my ears!_ Kaname gave a small smile and nodded. "Yes. Who might you be?"

"Takahashi Sakura. But call me Kura-chan…Just Kura-chan! So awesome to meet you and see you in person! Well, I had better be going. Nao-kun is probably waiting for me! Bai, Kaien-kun!" Sakura waved at the Headmaster before she slipped out of the office, her dark blue eyes sparkling happily and closing the door.

Kaname waited until she was out of the building before turning his attention to Kaien. "We have new students that see you personally?"

Kaien grinned in that goofy way of his. "Well, the Hunter Association did ask me to keep a close eye on Kura-chan, Nao-kun and Zerorin."

"Oh?" Kaname took a seat and crossed his legs, gazing at the Headmaster levelly. He didn't want the man to know how interested he was. "And why would that be?"

Kaien got to his feet and stood in front of the window, staring out at the starless and moonless night sky. "Because I am the Headmaster and it is my duty to make sure that my students are happy here."

Kaname raised an eyebrow slightly. There was something that was being kept from him. It couldn't be anything dangerous otherwise Kaien would've told him about it. So what was so special about the new students and Zero? Did it have anything to do with Zero's three month absence? Kaname couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible happened in Zero's time away. Which was strange because the Hunter seemed a lot more relaxed – even if his blood did smell as strange as Kura-chan's and that boy's.

"Who is the other new student?"

Kaien glanced over his shoulder. "Aoi Naoko. He's…What's the best way to describe him? Be careful around him, Kaname-kun. There's something…not quite right about him."

Kaname nodded and got to his feet. He thanked the Headmaster and left the office. He stood outside the door for a moment or two, thinking about the admonition. There wasn't anything that a human could do to a pureblood, anyway. But Kaien seemed sincerely worried about something that could go wrong. What was being kept from him and why hadn't Zero come to see him to feed? What was with all the secrets and how was it possible for things to be kept from him?

~ * ~  
End Prologue.

Huh? Well, if you're reading this then maybe you'd like to leave a review? Just please be gentle on me (my second Vampire Knight story and I'm still a novice with it!) but CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM is very welcomed!


	2. Don't Promise Tomorrow I

**~Don't Promise Tomorrow~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie.

**Warnings for this chapter:** Only three for this chapter: Irritating OCs, OOC and language!

~ * ~  
Interest.

It had been a week since Kaname had spoken with the Headmaster and he had confront Zero about feeding, when the Hunter just smirked at him and walked away. Everyday, Naoko was in the same tree, watching the Night Class with closed eyes. If Kaname were to study him for too long, the boy would open his eyes and stare back at him with eyes that Kaname, for some reason, hated. There was something almost dishonest about them. Maybe it was the makeup the boy wore.

The day Kaname came to that conclusion, Naoko had been the one to look away. The next day, the boy was on the same branch, but laying on his stomach, staring down at the ground as he lazily swung an arm through the air. Kura-chan never made an appearance when the vampires were around but apparently she and Yuuki were getting along famously. Yori was pleased to no longer have to deal with the fan girls and didn't show her face around them. The pureblood had no doubt that Yori was probably the person that was the most grateful for Zero to be back.

The past week had been filled with more questions and still no answers. Kaname had found out that Zero was on a first name basis with Naoko and that annoyed the pureblood. Who did that Naoko think he was to be so casual with Zero? Of course, Kaname was aware that Naoko was a human and therefore Zero wouldn't hold any resentment towards the boy. But that was beside the point. Kaname had known Zero longer. Why did some brat have the privilege of being able to call Zero by his first name?

Kaname waited for the bell to ring to end the classes for the night. There was some homework to be done but that wouldn't take the pureblood very long to do. He looked out the window and scanned the area. He could swear that someone was staring at him but there was nothing around. Nothing and the other vampires had their heads down as they worked.

"_Kaname."_

Kaname looked to his left and saw Aidou, furiously erasing something from the book in front of him. It was obvious the blond vampire hadn't said anything and it was the first time that Kaname had realized just how deathly quiet the room was. He got to his feet and no-one moved. No-one looked at him. Everyone was too busy with whatever they were working on. He walked down to the front of the class and looked at the other vampires. Still, no-one noticed that he was up and moving.

"_Kaname."_

Kaname turned his eyes to the clock above the board. The hand that clicked with the seconds was moving backwards. _Is this a dream?_ The pureblood was certain that it was. It would explain why the others hadn't noticed him moving around. He looked behind him, feeling the same eyes that were burning a hole through his being. There was nothing there, again.

"_Kaname."_

The classroom warped slightly. It was like a picture in a lake and a raindrop had rippled the surface. Everything smoothed out and there were only two other vampires in the room. Takuma and Rima. Both were staring at him with horrified expressions, which looked out of place on Rima's usually stoic features. Kaname went to take a step towards them but looked at what was in his arms. A dead Naoko.

"_Kaname."_

The white shirt the boy were was torn and dirty with soil and blood. The crimson fluid dripped to the floor in time with the seconds' hand that was still moving backwards. Leaves and twigs were stuck in his hair. The hat he wore all the time was crumpled but still on his head and the bell…What was the significance of the bell? Why did he wear it? Naoko wasn't dead. There was a heartbeat.

"_Kaname."_

Kaname laid the boy on the teacher's desk and glanced over his shoulder. Takuma and Rima continued to stare at him with their astonished faces. Kaname gave them a reassuring smile, wondering why they cared about the boy. They had never met him. They had only seen him, sitting in the tree, staring at them through closed eyes. Hiding the mix-matched irises that angered the pureblood for some reason. On the desk, Naoko rasped.

"_Kaname."_

Naoko's lips moved and his eyelids fluttered. Kaname noticed that the boy was completely without makeup. There was no concealer or eyeliner. Just blood. The ruby clashed with the emerald and sapphire of the boy's eyes but now wasn't a good time for Kaname to mention that. He had to know what had happened to him. Why was Naoko on his deathbed? Was Kaname responsible for it? A violently trembling hand took hold of his jacket, staining the collar as Naoko pulled him closer.

"I…Kana…me…l…" Naoko smiled as best he could and Kaname looked away.

"_Kaname."_

Kaname's eyes widened as he glanced at the boy and a hand was plunged into Naoko's chest, ripping out his heart. The organ gave a final beat, spurting blood everywhere before dying. Kaname turned around and his inner circle was there, glaring at him. Deeming it his fault that the boy had died and Kaname frowned slightly at that. None of them liked the boy. Aidou had attacked him. So why were they giving him such hateful looks?

"_Kaname!"_

Kaname looked at his hands and saw that he held Naoko's bell and heart in them. The boy's blood tainted his uniform. The bell jingled and Kaname raised his eyes, staring at those that were accusing him of a crime he didn't commit. _Why? Why do they care for him?_ Kaname turned his back to the vampires and glared down at the dead body on the desk. Tears continue to leak from closed lids and Kaname slapped the boy. When that didn't work, Kaname took hold of the boy's collar and slapped him again. And again. And again. Nothing seemed to be working, so Kaname reached for the hat. A hand scratched his cheek.

* * *

Kaname opened his eyes. When did he get out into the forest and why was he there? The sky was beginning to show signs of the dawn. It had only been a week since he had met Kura-chan and found out Naoko's name and already he was having bizarre dreams? What was wrong with him? The scratch on his cheek healed and he looked down at Naoko, who was glaring up at him.

"Are you done beating the shit out of me because of a fuckass dream you were having?"

Kaname let go of the shirt he was still gripping and got to his feet, brushing off his uniform. He really didn't remember going for a walk that night. "I apologize for everything I did."

Naoko rolled backwards and onto his feet with a grace that Kaname was surprised the boy had. "Yeah. Next time someone says your like eight times, try listening. It looked like a killer nightmare, though." Rubbing the cheek that had been abused, Naoko turned and disappeared into the shrinking darkness.

Kaname lowered his eyes. Five days ago, Naoko had approached him with a challenge to see which one of them would win Zero's love and affection. Kaname had thought it was a stupid idea but agreed to it, anyway. If anything, it would entertain him to see Naoko lose to hands of a vampire. And Kaname got the feeling that Naoko would have some pretty interesting ways up his sleeve about how to get Zero. The vampire might even learn something.

"Oh!" Naoko ran back to Kaname and grinned. "I forgot! There's this cinema in town that's open twenty-four hours a day, for people who work nightshift and want to catch a movie before going home or something like that. There's a wicked new horror playing this Friday and I got tickets for it. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

Kaname raised an eyebrow. "Are you joking?"

"Well…" Naoko turned his head, the bell jingling softly. "Yeah, I guess I am. Sorry to have brought it up."

Kaname frowned as Naoko walked off again. What was that all about? Kaname shook his head and headed to the Moon Dorm. He had no idea how he had ended up outside, in the forest or why Naoko was there, trying to wake him up. Once inside his room, Kaname sat on the bed, running his fingers through his hair. Why would Naoko ask _him_ to go see a movie instead of Zero? Wasn't the whole point of the challenge to get Zero? _Maybe he already tried Zero and was turned down?_ If only life were that simple.

Kaname laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. What would an evening with Naoko be like, anyway? The boy probably didn't know anything, so intellectual conversation was out. Having a laugh was probably out of the question. They were opposites. Naoko was a human, which had strange smelling blood and Kaname was a pureblood vampire. And Naoko's causal clothing was a little something that was left to be desired.

And for a human, Naoko was quite good looking. Then again, so was Kura-chan. Kaname yawned and rolled onto his side, using an arm for a pillow. He could ask Zero out, just to see what the Hunter would want to do. There were a couple of plays that were coming to town that Kaname wanted to see but he knew that that probably wasn't Zero's thing. Horror movies probably were and that was where Naoko and Zero had more factors in common. What _would_ an evening with Naoko be like?

* * *

Kaname walked through the forest, early Saturday morning. He was just enjoying the crisp, fresh air. There was hooting of several owls and the occasional childish giggle. The childish giggle was accompanied by the faint tinkle of Naoko's bell. Kaname sighed and lowered his eyes. Of course a good morning like that would be ruined by that annoying, little human. The laughing was getting closer to him and Kaname decided it would be best if he didn't have a confrontation with the boy.

That had been the plan but Naoko arrived a lot quicker than Kaname was expecting. Kaname looked over his shoulder but the boy wasn't there. His eyes went to the trees and saw Naoko jumping from branch to branch, chasing an owl. The bird hooted, almost encouragingly, at its pursuer and Kaname blinked at the display of friendliness between human and animal. Naoko seemed to understand what was being said by the owl. The boy stopped suddenly and stared down at Kaname, shifting uncomfortably, like he hadn't wanted the pureblood to see him like that.

The owl took flight to sky and Kaname's eyes followed it for a second or two and he returned attention to Naoko, who had disappeared. There wasn't a whisper that the boy had ever been there and there wasn't the sound of his bell anywhere. That was the second time Naoko has vanished on the pureblood and it wasn't something that Kaname was liking. How was it possible for a human to just…It wasn't possible and there had to be some trick. Some smoke and mirrors somewhere.

"You're a little too cautious about things, Kuran-san," Naoko teased from behind the vampire.

Kaname turned around, eyes wide as the boy wasn't there. Was it some sort of sound system that was set up? That seemed a little extravagant to toy with a vampire. But it couldn't have been that because Kaname had sensed the boy behind him. "What game are you playing at, Aoi-kun?"

"A game of tag. If you can catch me or even lay your eyes on me, you win."

There was a giggle and Kaname turned a slow circle. His right hand stuck out and he grabbed the front of Naoko's shirt. "That wasn't much of a challenge, Aoi-kun."

Naoko pouted slightly, green eye hidden. "That's because you used your speed to your advantage! That was totally unfair!"

Fresh milk. Naoko had the scent around him but it wasn't enough to mask his strange blood and that was something that Kaname wanted to find out about. What made Naoko's, Kura-chan's and even Zero's blood have that odd scent to it? What had the Association done to those three? Kura-chan and Naoko reminded Kaname of puppies. Their endless energy and undying curiosity.

"Stop using me for a source of entertainment, little one." Kaname already wasn't in the best of moods when he started his walk, as Zero had turned him down for a date and it was reason for his stroll. He didn't want to deal with the puppy.

Naoko grinned. "I'm not using you for that!" he protested in a friendly way. "And even if I was, at least it's giving you something to do as well."

Kaname sighed silently and released the boy, stepping away from him. "What are you even doing out at this time? You're part of the Day Class and you're meant to be asleep at this time."

Naoko lifted his head to gaze the night sky. "I asked the Headmaster if I would be able to see that movie tonight and he gave me permission. After _a lot_ of begging and making promises I don't intend to keep, anyway. You sure you don't want to see it with me? If we leave now we should be able to make the previews."

Kaname weighed his options. He could spend the rest of the night brooding about the fact that Zero turned him down or he could spend some of the night enjoying a horror movie with Naoko, a person he couldn't stand to be around. At least it would give him something to do and take his mind off the fact that he was rejected. After a few moments, Kaname nodded at the boy, who beamed and started running towards the edge of the school grounds.

"Awesome! Come on, Kuran-san! Or should I meet you there?"

Kaname appeared beside the boy. "Do you honestly think you could get there before me?"

Naoko laughed softly and nodded, the bell jingling. "A large drink says that I do!"

Kaname smirked. "Deal."

Kaname knew it was useless to challenge a human to a game of speed as there wasn't any creature that could outdo a vampire in that area, except maybe a demon. He arrived at the movie theatre and looked around. His eyes widened when Naoko waved to him from entrance of the building. How had the boy gotten there before him? Kaname stepped through the doors, quite surprised at how busy the place was for that time of night. They went up to the counter and Kaname got them large drinks as he had lost the bet. He ignored the goo-goo eyes the girl behind the counter was making at him.

Drinks in hand, he and Naoko headed to the room where the movie was showing. They took their seats and Kaname was a little astonished that Naoko sat beside him, his mix-matched eyes glued to the screen as a preview for another movie played. Kaname crossed his legs and waited for the film to begin. He was bored with the previews already. Kaname glanced at Naoko as the boy shifted to get himself more comfortable, which meant sitting cross-legged in the seat.

Naoko turned to Kaname and grinned as the lights of the cinema dimmed. Kaname looked back at the screen and lazily moved his straw around in his cup. He hoped that movie was worth his time, otherwise he couldn't be held accountable for what he might do to Naoko if it wasn't. Kaname's brow creased slightly as he found out he was watching a sequel and gazed at the screen with intrigue.

As the movie continued, Kaname glanced at Naoko, seeing that the boy's eyes were completely stuck to the screen. With a smirk, Kaname reached over and tickled the fine hairs on Naoko's neck, chuckling as he jumped and swatted at whatever it was that had touched him. Kaname returned his attention to the movie, looking as though he hadn't done anything but Naoko glared at him nevertheless. The boy blinked as there was a scream that sounded and stared at the screen.

Kaname watched Naoko from the corner of his eye when a small gasp left the boy's mouth. On the screen, a brother was watching helplessly as his older sister was killed by the monster that had been stalking them. The girl had told her brother to hide and not make a sound. Kaname lowered his eyes to the hand that suddenly gripped his sleeve before raising them to Naoko's face again. His eyes were wide and tears lined his lower lid before he stood and left the cinema. Kaname didn't budge. Whatever it was that was eating Naoko wasn't his problem and until it became his, Kaname was going to let the boy be alone.

The movie ended and Kaname left. He went to the male restroom and found Naoko at one of the basins, water running off his face. Kaname waited as Naoko splashed water on his face again and turned the faucet off, shaking his head as though he was trying to clear it. After drying his face, he turned to Kaname with a smile on his lips and his eyes shining with false mirth. Kaname turned away and said it was time to head back to school.

Naoko fell into step beside Kaname, eyes lowered. It was the quietest Kaname had ever known the boy to be. The movie must've struck something very tender in Naoko for him to not even want to discuss it. Kaname didn't have a problem with that. It ended with the brother defeating the demon that had been stalking his father, at long last. The concept behind the story had been interesting, to say the least but Naoko's reaction to the sister being killed was more intriguing and Kaname was having a slightly difficult time of keeping his curiosity on a leash, even though he knew it wasn't his problem or had anything to do with him.

Once back inside school grounds, Kaname took hold of Naoko's shoulder. "What happened?"

Naoko blinked, looking thoughtful. "When? Oh! Do you mean when I left the movie? Oh, I had something in my eye and it was really irritating me. I didn't want you think of me as anymore annoying, so I thought it would be best if I went to the bathroom." He grinned at the vampire.

Kaname took hold of Naoko's chin and the boy opened his eyes, removing his hand. Kaname wasn't going to question it, though. Some people just didn't like to be touched and he could live with that, as he was one of those people. "If that's the case, that's a really good eyeliner you use. What brand is that?"

"Mac. It's really expensive but _so_ worth it! And when I say expensive, I think even you would find the prices a little ridiculous, Kuran-san." He smiled and waved as he turned and ran to the Sun Dorms.

Kaname raised an eyebrow. Naoko hadn't even thanked him for wasting two hours with the little nuisance. It hadn't been all bad and at least it had taken his mind off of the rejection he'd received from Zero about the play on Sunday. Maybe Naoko would like to go to that. At least it would give them something to do before they went back to hating each other on Monday.

"Thank you!"

Kaname glanced to where Naoko had run off and smiled, shaking his head. The boy was unusual and seemed to have no problem with breaking the rules. Though, he had asked the Headmaster. Kaname couldn't be sure if that was true or not. There was no reason for Naoko to lie to him and it would go against his name's meaning. Kaname returned to the Moon Dorm. Maybe Naoko wasn't as bad as he had previously thought. There was something about the boy, though. Was that why Kaien had warned him? Naoko seemed like a normal teenage boy…with strange blood.

Kaname undid the buttons on his shirt and stood in front of the window, staring at the night sky. There was no reason for Kaien to give him that warning. Kaname was more than perfectly capable of taking care of himself. So there was no reason behind that warning but Kaien felt it necessary to voice it? Kaname moved away from the window and removed his shirt. He dressed in his pajamas and got into bed. Naoko honestly didn't seem like a threat, to anyone, except maybe putting the Energizer Bunny out on the streets.

* * *

Kaname was walking with Takuma, late Sunday evening when they both heard it. Soft voices. Kaname recognized all three of them – Kura-chan, Naoko and Zero. Kura-chan's didn't seem that bad when she wasn't squealing loudly about something. In fact, none of them sounded happy. Zero said he had to leave but he'd be back in a few hours, once the Association was done with him. Kura-chan said she would walk him to the edge and Kaname went to the area where their voices had been.

Takuma didn't ask any questions but followed his leader. He stood back a little as Kaname approached the boy that was sitting beneath a tree, knees pulled to his chest and looking more miserable than Takuma could ever remember seeing him. Whatever they had been discussing must've been something that weighed heavily on Naoko. Takuma frowned slightly as Naoko got to his feet and walked off before Kaname got to him. It seemed to be something that the boy didn't want to talk about, either.

Kaname sighed to himself and followed, knowing that Takuma would stay where he was. It wasn't something that concerned the blond Noble and Kaname was trying to figure out why he was getting himself involved with it. It wasn't something that concerned him but he wasn't going to deal with getting half-stories from the Headmaster as the Association wasn't going to tell Kaien anything. It seemed that whatever they had done to Zero in those three months hadn't been fully legal as Kaien still claimed he had no idea what had happened.

Naoko froze and spun around, staring at Kaname with large eyes and the vampire still didn't like them. "Kuran-san? When did you get here?"

"I've been following you for the last two minutes, Aoi-kun. I heard that Zero was going to the Association, and I just got back from the play I saw with my friend. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go with me but I couldn't find you anywhere." Kaname stood beneath a tree and watched Naoko.

"Oh! I was probably with the Headmaster. Zero, Kura-chan and I have weekly check ups!" Naoko grinned and Kaname narrowed his eyes slightly. He hated that fake smile. "I wish I could have gone with you, Kuran-san but I don't own anything that would be appropriate for something as grand as a play. Which play was it?"

"Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'," Kaname answered quietly.

"How quaint. What's done is done." Naoko laughed quietly as he scratched an area under his hat.

Kaname placed a hand on the tree. "Why do you wear that hat at night, Aoi-kun?"

Naoko stared at the hand that was on the tree, with an odd expression. "Force of habit. You know that the trees fear you, right?" Kaname's brow creased slightly and Naoko's eyes went wide. "I mean, you're such a powerful being and trees are living organisms! I think everything that breathes fears you."

"Including you?"

Naoko grinned and shook his head, the bell jingling merrily. "Nope! I'm not a threat to you and I'm also human, which means that if you want this peaceful co-existence to work, you can't kill, torture or maim me."

Kaname's lips curved vaguely. "You seem to have put a lot of thought in that. Were you hoping I would ask it at some point?"

Naoko shrugged and danced backwards. "I don't even know what I hope for anymore." He grinned and waved but stopped and lowered his hand. "I guess that's a bad thing, though. Maybe you and I will both catch that falling star soon."

Was that a hint of sorrow? "If both of our falling stars happen to be the same thing, how can we both catch it?" Kaname asked as he got ready to leave the little meeting.

"I never said that Zero was my falling star, Kuran-san. You just assumed that was it," Naoko teased good-naturedly, hands behind his head and his green eye hidden.

Kaname raised an eyebrow as he gazed at Naoko thoughtfully. If that was the case, then why was the boy trying to win Zero's affections? Maybe he knew something that Kaname didn't but that was highly unlikely. "And what would you falling star be, then?"

Naoko laughed heartily. "The point to a falling star is not to tell what your wish is or it won't come true." Still chuckling, Naoko turned. "Goodnight, Kuran-san!"

Kaname smiled and rejoined Takuma, who was still waiting in the same place. "Welcome back, Kaname-sama."

"Thank you, Takuma."

Takuma walked a step behind Kaname. "Did you find out what was making Naoko-kun so upset?"

Kaname blinked. He completely forgot why he had followed the boy. "No. We spoke about something else. Something that we both hold dear, as strange as that is."

Takuma smiled, even though Kaname couldn't see it. He was glad to know that there was something else that his lord held dear, other than Yuuki. "That's good to know. At least you and he have something in common."

Kaname stopped walking and glanced up at the night sky. The stars twinkled brightly in their dark blanket. It was childish, to wish upon a star or falling star but there were some things that people had to keep close to their hearts so they wouldn't forget who they were. Something told Kaname that the reason Naoko held that so close to him was for a completely different reason. It might even have something to do with what had upset the boy. The pureblood would never know. It wasn't his place to pry. _So why do I want to know?_

"Is everything alright, Kaname-sama?" Takuma inquired, almost meekly.

Kaname blinked and looked over his shoulder. "Of course, Takuma. Thank you for accompanying me this evening. I never would have guessed that he liked Shakespeare."

"Who, Kaname-sama?"

"Naoko." Kaname continued walking.

Takuma watched him for a moment before turning his eyes to the empyrean. It had grasped Kaname's attention for some time, before Takuma had asked his question. There was nothing unique about it that night but it seemed to make Kaname happy and if the pureblood was happy, then the other vampires would be as well. He followed after Kaname, a slight smile on his lips. _What's done is done,_ he thought as they returned to the dorm.

Kaname socialized for a few minutes before he went to his room and sat down on the bed. Naoko had revealed a few things that Kaname hadn't thought to inquire about. Why would those three need weekly check ups? And what _was_ upsetting Naoko like that? Maybe it had something to do with the check ups that Kaname didn't know about. And it was force of habit to wear the hat at night? The trees feared him but Naoko didn't? No, that couldn't be right. Everyone that knew him feared him.

_What a strange child,_ Kaname mused, a soft smile on his face as he laid back. What could Naoko's falling star possibly be? Kaname wasn't going to openly admit that he was curious about that. _"Every fool has his unreachable dream." How true that is, little one._ Kaname closed his eyes. _But what _is_ your unreachable dream? Why have you let me believe that Zero is that dream?_ Kaname chuckled to himself. It would figure that a new student would be the one playing mind games with him without even knowing it.

Kaname sat up with a start, staring at the wall opposite of him. Something was wrong. Kura-chan and Naoko, when speaking to Zero seemed like completely different people. Neither of them had been energetic, curious puppies but had been solemn, mature teenagers about whatever it was they were talking about. They had been talking about the Association, which was where Zero had gone. There was something else in there. Kaname searched his memories. The Association's Abbey…The pureblood had never heard of that place before.

Kaname got to his feet and went to the window, staring out it. His eyes widened when he saw Naoko on the top of the gates. He blinked and the boy was gone. Had insanity set in already? What was with all the secrets that were being kept? And why wasn't Zero an ex-human any longer? How was Naoko able to disappear? What is the Abbey that the three of them spoke of, with tinges of murderous rage and sorrow? Did Kaien know more than he was letting on? He had to know a little of what was happening or what had happened.

Kaname decided to take his mind off the current questions that were flying around his mind and went to his office, staring at the neat paperwork on the desk. He could see Kaien the next night, after classes and get the answers he wanted. It sounded as though Naoko was going to be absent that day as he was going to the Abbey for whatever reason he was summoned there for. Since when did the Association decide they needed an abbey, anyway? That was the part that didn't make any sense.

Kaname sat at his desk and opened an envelope. He read the contents of the letter, picking up a pen, he wrote his reply. _Why would they always wear those fake smiles? Even Zero isn't scowling as much as he used to. Does all of this have something to do with the Abbey?_ Kaname signed his name at the end of the reply and folded the paper neatly, slipping it into an envelope and addressing it to the correct people. Takuma was approaching his door and Kaname gave his permission of entrance before the Noble could knock.

Takuma closed the door behind him and stood there. "Kaname-sama, you have a dinner to attend at my family's estate in an hour. Your car is waiting for you outside of school grounds."

_Maybe I can find something out there,_ Kaname thought as he nodded at his friend and got to his feet. There were a lot of loops that he was being left out of. The easiest one to crack would be Naoko, seeing as the boy was showing that he trusted Kaname just a little. Or that could be Kaname's imagination. Kaname went back to his room and changed quickly. How long had he been musing to himself? He didn't realize he had lost track of time that badly that he would need a reminder from Takuma.

The blond Noble followed. Kaname left without a word to the other vampires. He knew that Takuma had already taken care of distributing the necessary information to them. A bell jingled and Kaname paused, looking over his shoulder. He saw Naoko standing on a branch, staring at him. His eyes had strange emotions running through them but seemed to _beg_ Kaname not to ask any questions while he was out and that scared the pureblood a little. Was it possible that Naoko knew he had overheard part of their conversation?

"Kaname-sama?" Takuma looked over his shoulder also and saw Naoko in the tree. "If you wish to speak with him, I don't think my family will mind if you're a little late." He turned his attention to the pureblood.

Kaname's eyes drifted to his friend and he shook his head. "No. Aoi-kun and I have nothing to talk about. I'm not going to get what I want and he's not going to understand." Knowing the boy had disappeared as soon as his eyes were taken off of him, Kaname faced forward and continued to edge of the school grounds. "Good evening, Kura-chan."

Sakura blinked, staring at Kaname with blank eyes for a moment before the false sparkle of happiness re-entered them. "Hi, Kuran-san and Ichijou-san!" She grinned at them. An embarrassed tint came over her cheeks and she stepped to the side. "Sorry. Have a good night!"

_They're all harboring something dark and almost sinister inside of them._ The bell tinkled again and Kaname ignored it. He was already running a little behind schedule and Naoko had Kura-chan to keep him company and Kaname had to get his head in the game. He had to pretend he gave a damn what Takuma's grandfather was going to say to him. He bid a goodnight to Takuma as the blond closed the door for him and the car began moving. Just when things were beginning to become normal, too.

~ * ~  
End Chapter I.

Ha ha! Well, I never expected so many reviews on the prologue of this chapter! I got a funny feeling that my thanking everyone at the end of the chapter is gonna be longer than the actual chapter most of the time! LOL  
I also see there are a couple regulars from my other story "Sweet Deception". You know who you are! :P Just a quick message to you, Sweet Deception will be updated when my last regular reviews. Until then, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait!

Now, onto my favorite part of the story:

**Taz:** Thanks so much for taking this story's review cherry! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you're still out there! ^^

**Angelfire Hunt:** Aww, thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too!

**ben4kevin:** Hello you! Well, you probably won't get too much of a feel for this story until a couple more chapters into it. Right now, it's just randomness being thrown around as I try to understand what the actual plot is!

**alec:** I...didn't understand your review, except "Zero" and "vampire neko". I think you were asking if Zero's gonna be a vampire neko? I guess you'll have to wait and see, ne? Thanks for your review, though!

**Amari-Chan:** *squeals* AMARI-CHAN! Hi! Thanks for your review and like with everyone else, I hope you enjoyed this chapter also!

**v:** I'm trying! I'm really trying to keep it going! Thanks for the encouragement!

**Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai:** Hellos! I hope this was enough of a fix for ya! :P

**irmina:** Thanks so much for your review and I hope this has answered some of the questions you had floating around your head! WILL Kaname win Zero's affection? I have no idea. I'm just the author.

**WitchWoman:** I can't reel ya in because there's still so much more room on the hook! I hope you liked this chapter!

**Ttrace:** Thanks for your lovely review! As for what it was about Kura-chan's voice that hurt Kaname, it was the high-pitch of it. Vampires have very sensitive ears! :P

**Everyone that has alerted/favorited:** Thank you so much and I hope you all enjoyed the update!

**To everyone else:** I'm a freaking review junkie! If you liked it, drop me a line. If not, I guess that's why the back button was invented!

Until the next chapter, hope you all have an awesome day/night!

Peace!


	3. Don't Promise Tomorrow II

**~Don't Promise Tomorrow~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie.

**Warnings for this chapter:** OCs, OOC.

**A/N:** Okies, this chapter might turn a lot of you off the story. I really hope it doesn't. But if it does, I won't hold it against you. I'll just hunt you down and force you to read the rest of it! *insert generic evil laugh here*

~ * ~  
Moon.

How was it possible? Kaname stared at Zero as though the Hunter had grown a second head. With what he was just told, that would be more believable. His eyes flickered to Kura-chan, who was sitting on a branch of a tree, staring down at him with large, innocent eyes. Naoko couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with Kaname, not that pureblood actually cared about that. He wasn't in the mood to see those mix-matched eyes at the moment. Kaname went back to staring at Zero. The other two weren't helping.

It was Tuesday morning and Kaname decided it was time he got some answers. He had found Zero conversing with the other two and Yuuki. She had said that she needed to complete her homework but Kaname knew she left so the four of them could have some private time. She was very perceptive, despite not knowing what was actually going on. Before he had crashed their little get-together, they were all laughing and joking. For a few moments, Kaname was actually able to believe that all of them were human.

Once Yuuki left, Kaname turned his eyes to Zero, demanding to know why he hadn't been to see him yet. Zero had just calmly explained that he no longer needed his blood. Kaname had put that theory to the test and scratched the side of his neck. Zero just raised an eyebrow. There wasn't a hint of bloodlust in his eyes and that was something Kaname was expecting but it was still a shock, nevertheless. And thus, that was where they were. Kaname staring at Zero like he was some sort of freak.

Once bitten by a pureblood there was no way to reverse the effects. It was pure science-fiction. But it seemed that the Association had found a way of doing it and it seemed that Kura-chan and Naoko were in the same boat as Zero – all had been bitten and turned. Of course, Kura-chan and Naoko were further gone than Zero was and that was why Zero had brought them back to the Academy; so he could keep a closer eye on them. Kaname was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that there was a way to reverse vampirism.

"It doesn't work for everyone, Kuran," Zero revealed. "There were a few that needed to be killed because they went a little insane and tried to kill everything that they saw."

"How is it possible?" Kaname asked, his eyes once again running over the other three.

Kura-chan shrugged. "We don't know. For me, it was like waking up from a bad dream. I knew who I was again and that I had no dependence on blood and the thought of slaughtering everything in sight to get it was gone." She grinned.

"They injected you and that was it?"

Kura-chan shook her head. "Nope! It was a two and a half month process for me. Three months for Zero-kun and I don't know how long for Nao-kun. He was in there before I was."

"_There's something…not quite right about him."_ Kaname watched as Naoko gingerly stroked the bell in his hair, muffling the soft jingles that were being emitted from it. Without warning, Naoko glared at Kaname and turned on his heel, storming off. Kaname blinked. What had he done, except get curious? Zero shook his head and followed Naoko. Kaname frowned and looked up at Kura-chan, hoping she would be able to shed some light on what had just happened.

Kura-chan smiled and jumped off the branch. "Nao-kun is…different. He was there longer than Zero-kun and I so we don't know what else he was forced through before the experiment took with him."

Kaname nodded. "Thank you, Kura-chan. You should probably return to the dorm so you can get some sleep." Kaname glanced after Zero and then back at Kura-chan, seeing that she had gone. What else were they hiding from him?

Kaname knew he only had half, possibly less, of the story. It was better than nothing but there were still a lot more questions that he had wanted to ask. And he wanted a more proper explanation about how it was possible for Zero to no longer be an ex-human. Even when meeting with Takuma's family, they claimed there was no way of reversing the effects. How was the Hunter Association able to do it, though? _And here I though the Council kept close tabs on what the Association was doing._ Kaname scoffed at his thoughts.

Kaname headed back to the Moon Dorm. At least he knew a little more than he did the previous week. It still didn't explain what Naoko's fallen star was. Kaname shook his head. It wasn't up to him to patch the boy back together. After all, they were rivals, even if Naoko was going to deny wanting Zero. No-one in their right mind would deny wanting at least a little something from Zero. Even the other vampires wouldn't mind trying some of his blood. Of course, that was only because it would taste better than the blood tablets.

Was that what the Abbey was? The place where the experiments had been preformed? It didn't seem like an experience any of them were willing to share but Naoko was still the easiest to crack. Kura-chan had herself together, surprisingly. It seemed that she knew how to take what happened to her and make it something that could make her stronger. Kaname admired the girl for that. His admiration for Zero grew even more, knowing that whatever happened to the Hunter – he wasn't going to let it get him down, either. On the other hand, neither of them knew what had happened to Naoko.

Kaname looked up with a start. That had been unexpected. Was that the sound of someone stepping on a cat's tail? There were bound to be strays hanging around. The town closest to them was riddled with the homeless creatures. It didn't really help when Zero brought home some of the two-leg strays. That was one of the nastiest cat fights Kaname had ever heard in his life and was certain that at least one of the contestants would be dead in the morning. Just what the school needed; a dead body stinking up the place.

Kaname tilted his head slightly when he saw Yuuki hovering around the gates to the Moon Dorm. She looked a little confused and he stepped up her. "I thought you had homework to do, Yuuki?"

Yuuki blushed and bowed. "I did. I need Zero's help, though! Some of the math questions are a little annoying. I thought he would be with you as I left him with you."

Kaname ruffled Yuuki's hair, letting his hand slide down to her cheek. She stared at him with those large doe eyes. Kaname's brow creased slightly and he removed his hand, smiling gently at the girl. "Are you and Kiryu-kun together, Yuuki?"

Yuuki went into a slight state of panic. She tripped over her words, almost dislocated a finger as they twitched nervously as she tried to think of a way of explaining it to the man that had saved her. The man that was always looking out for her. "I didn't know how to tell you, Kaname-senpai."

Kaname's eyes widened. What had he done to deserve two bombshells in _one_ night? Zero no longer needed his blood and Yuuki, the girl he wanted to protect from the boy was in a relationship with him? He was fighting some new kid for a love he would never have, for a love he knew he would never have? He couldn't even have Yuuki as a fallback plan. Kaname mentally scowled at his thoughts. How much more selfish was he going to be? He was happy that Yuuki had some that cherished her like a princess and Zero had better take damn good care of her.

Kaname smiled, his eyes softening. "I'm happy for you, Yuuki. Zero is a fine man, when he wants to be. Has he told you about his three month absence?"

Yuuki shifted and averted her eyes to the ground. Kaname knew she was going to lie to him and it she was so painfully obvious about it. "No, not yet. He said he would when the time is right."

_He asked her not to tell me._ Kaname nodded. "I understand. He told me a little about what happened at the Abbey."

Yuuki's eyes snapped up to his, tears in them. "I'm glad that he's no longer a vampire but did they have to be so cruel?"

Kaname pulled the girl to him and kissed the top of her head. "It was just something they thought they had to do, Yuuki."

"Starving them was something they thought they had to do?"

Kaname knew Yuuki was on the verge of becoming hysterical and tried to soothe the spark before it exploded. "He's back now, Yuuki and we should be grateful about that. He's in good health and he's happier. Help him forget the painful demons that lie in his past."

Yuuki nodded and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Kaname-senpai, for saying that. And thank you for not being angry that Zero and I are together."

"As long as he doesn't do anything to break your heart, Yuuki. If he makes you cry because of something he's done, I'll kill him." Kaname tightened his hold on her. _Now, all I have to do is tell Naoko that the challenge is null. That's going to be fun._ Kaname sighed to himself, wondering how he was going to go about that.

Yuuki stepped back and nodded. "He'll never do anything to make me cry…again." She grinned and went to step around the pureblood but stopped and gazed up at him. "Kaname-senpai, can I ask a favor of you?"

Kaname blinked. "Of course, Yuuki. You know I would do anything for you."

Yuuki lowered her eyes, knowing full well what kind of lengths Kaname would go to for her. She raised them and smiled slightly. "Would you be able to see if you can get Nao-kun to talk? I tried getting him to open up to me but he shut himself off even more." She gazed at the floor again.

_Zero's told her more than she's letting on._ Kaname studied Yuuki. "Of course, Yuuki. I should warn you, though, that he and I don't get along very well. I don't think I'll be someone that he can open up to."

"I know that when he has nightmares, he goes to Zero but he's stopped that recently. I don't think he's been sleeping. He doesn't seem as energetic as usual." Yuuki's fingers fidgeted nervously again and Kaname took her hands in his own.

"I'll try my best, Yuuki. I was just letting you know that if nothing changes, it is because he and I don't get along."

Yuuki smiled and hugged Kaname. "But you're gonna try! That's all that matters! And I'm sure that once Nao-kun realizes that you're a really great guy, he'll open up! Not even Zero knows everything that happened to him."

Kaname smiled as Yuuki detached herself from him and ran off. Kaname waited for the gates to open and entered the dorm, going up to his office. He wasn't the least bit surprised that Seiren was in there. He took his seat behind the desk and gazed at her. She stared back, awaiting her orders. Kaname was curious on if she would be able to get the information he wanted, as the Council knew nothing about it. Well, they claimed they didn't know anything but _everyone_ was keeping something from him and Kaname knew he could never trust the Council.

"Seiren, I would like you to gather as much information as you can on the Hunter Association's Abbey and what kind of experiments they run there. I would also, if possible, like information on one of their subjects – Aoi Naoko."

"The new student, Kaname-sama? I already have his file here." She handed over two manila files. "I will try my best to get the information you've requested, Kaname-sama. I don't know how easy it's going to be. I've never heard of the Association having an Abbey."

"Thank you, Seiren. If you can't get what I want, then please don't worry about it." He opened one of the files and saw that Seiren had gotten files on both Kura-chan and Naoko.

Seiren bowed respectfully to her lord. "As you wish, Kaname-sama." She left the office.

Kaname skimmed over Kura-chan's file. The girl wasn't orphaned and had parents. When she disappeared, four years ago, they spent a lot of money on trying to find her. After three years, she was declared dead and it seemed that Kura-chan hadn't reconnected with her family. He closed the file and set it to the side, opening the other. He took his time in taking in everything about Naoko.

Naoko lost his parents to a car accident and lived with his older brother and sister. There was a police report they filed when they declared him a missing person. He reappeared two years later, at the age of thirteen and got into a lot of trouble with the local law for petty theft, breaking and entering, trespassing, possession with the intent of selling, defiling public property and suspicion of arson. That was just in a year and a half. He disappeared after that, again and there was a second report for his disappearance. Two months later, his sister was also reported missing.

Kaname picked up the photo that had been handed over to the police for Naoko's first disappearance. He was probably eleven in it and had a cream doughnut in his hand. It looked like the photographer took him by surprise as he had a clueless look in his mix-matched eyes. Kaname smiled. Naoko might have been clueless at that time but he wasn't dead inside like he was now. The series of photos taken when he was booked varied. Most of the time Naoko was smirking at the camera. Other times, he was glaring. The last one, he was staring at camera with large eyes and Kaname detected a hint of fear in them.

Kaname opened Sakura's file and placed it above Naoko's, trying to figure out what the common thread between them was. They were from different parts of the country. Different breeding. Different personalities. Yet, they both disappeared at the age of eleven at the same time of year. Was it a cult? Kaname couldn't remember hearing any news of eleven year olds disappearing now and even back then, it didn't come across as strange. Sakura's took up the front page for nearly a month, only because her father was running for office and that undercut Naoko's family's plea for him.

Kaname got to his feet and left his office. He knocked on Takuma's door. There was shuffling and a bleary eyed Senri opened the door, gazing at Kaname like the pureblood was a figment of his imagination. Without a sound, Senri turned from Kaname and went over to the sleeping blond, shaking his shoulder violently. A few moments later, Takuma groaned and pushed Senri away. Senri anticipated that, caught Takuma's wrist and pulled him out of the bed, standing him on his feet in front of Kaname before returning to his own bed.

"Kaname-sama?" Takuma rubbed his eyes and yawned. He stared at Kaname and blinked a few times. "Is something wrong? Has someone broken in, again? Did Aidou do something?"

"I was hoping I could borrow your brain for a few minutes and – 'again'? What do you mean 'again'? When did someone break in?"

Takuma frowned slightly. "It was only Seiren's room and she said she would tell you when you returned. It was turned completely upside down, while we were at class. She said nothing had gone missing and seeing as she didn't tell you about it, I guess nothing was taken."

"When did that happen?"

"A week ago, I think."

Kaname couldn't believe he was only hearing about now. He didn't care if nothing was taken, it was the principle. How was he meant to protect his vampires and their belongings if no-one ever told him what was going on? He decided to take it up with Seiren herself, when she returned from the little mission he had sent her on. He nodded at Takuma, who smiled, still looking like he was half-asleep. Kaname honestly didn't think that the blond Noble would be in bed at that time. Normally they stayed up as late as possible.

"What did you need my brain for, Kaname-sama?" Takuma blinked as a pillow was thrown at his head.

"Can you talk about it outside, with a closed door?" Senri mumbled from his bed. Takuma laughed softly and stepped out of the room, closing the door. He didn't want to deal with an annoyed vampire in the morning.

"Four to five years ago, do you remember when Takahashi was running for office?" Kaname inquired, knowing full well how random it was.

Takuma tilted his head. "Yes and his daughter was kidnapped just as the campaign was getting into full swing. He actually dropped out of the rat race and focused on looking for her, if I remember correctly."

"They never found her and she was declared dead after four years," Kaname revealed, ignoring the curious look he got from his friend.

"What does this have to do with anything, Kaname-sama? Everyone knows about the Takahashi kidnapping, it was lining every paper in the country for a month. Because of that, no-one was able to see that there were fourteen other children kidnapped. And it didn't help that the papers ran the story every year at the time she was kidnapped, which hid that there were still children being kidnapped."

Kaname smiled. "That's what I wanted, Takuma. Thank you. Was there anything about the other children that were kidnapped?"

Takuma thought about and shook his head. "Not much. They were all eleven year olds. They all disappeared on the same day, every year. It stopped about three years ago, though."

_Probably when Naoko disappeared for the second time._ Kaname nodded, archiving all the information Takuma had given him. "Thank you, Takuma. You can go back to bed now."

"What was all of that about, Kaname-sama? It isn't like you to ask random questions at this hour." Takuma studied his friend with concern, making sure there wasn't anything outwardly wrong with the pureblood.

"It was just something that was brought to my attention. I apologize for waking you."

Takuma grinned and opened the door. "Don't mention it. See you tomorrow." He slipped into the room and closed the door, sighing, thankful that Kaname hadn't decided to punish him for questioning why the pureblood had woken him.

Kaname returned to his office and looked at the files again. They were two completely different people. So why had they been targeted? Why release one, only to take control of him again? Unless Naoko escaped. It wouldn't have taken much for them to find him again, considering all the trouble he was getting himself into. Kura-chan was probably in the same boat, though they didn't know it. Was Naoko their ultimate goal, though? _If_ he did escape, did they continue the kidnappings, hoping to find someone like him? Were they trying to mate him with Kura-chan? Did they even know each other before the Abbey?

Kaname sighed as he stripped out of his clothing and went to the bathroom, getting the shower going. There were too many questions and he had no answers for them. Yuuki knew more than he did. Yuuki! Of all people to know something as important as what happened in the Abbey, it had to be Yuuki. Naturally that was because Yuuki had that presence around her. Kaname doubted the girl could look at someone like they were a freak if her life depended on it. It didn't change the fact that Kaname was the one left in the dark. He was the one that could probably do something about what had happened to them.

Kaname stepped under the water and hung his head. _Yuuki is a friendly person,_ Kaname mused as he washed his body. _So why wouldn't Naoko open up to her? Do females scare him? Is that why he bunks with Zero instead of Kura-chan?_ Kaname kept in a groan. There were just too many freaking questions. News kept appearing and it was something that was beginning to bother him. The nightmares had to be horrible if Naoko needed the sense of protection from someone. _"It looked like a killer nightmare, though."_

Kaname washed his hair and turned the shower off, watching the water go down the drain. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Abbey was the connection between the kidnappings and…something else. There was a missing piece. The end piece. What was the result? They cured vampirism, they actually found a way of reversing it. Whether it be for good or temporary, Kaname couldn't be sure. It all must be an experiment, as it wasn't making any sense. It took Kura-chan two and a half months, Zero three. But how long for Naoko?

Kaname stepped out of the shower and dried his hair and body. He would just have to wait for Seiren to return, hopefully with the information he wanted. _And hopefully alive._ Kaname blinked. Where had that thought come from? Why would he think that something could happen to Seiren? She was the best he had for getting details and she had been his best for years. _But what would happen if they used the 'cure' on her?_ Kaname's eyes widened. What was wrong with his mind? Why was he thinking of such things? Seiren was good enough to not get herself into that sort of situation, anyway.

Kaname wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped into his room. He pulled on his pajama pants and was in the middle of pulling his shirt on when he caught the scent. It was strong enough to rouse a few of the other vampires. _Now what?_ Kaname asked as he stepped up to the window. He knew that smell. Someone was bleeding. Without thinking too much about it and his mind coming to conclusion that it was Zero who was injured, Kaname ran out of the dorm, he scaled the gates, not having time to wait for them to open. He followed his nose.

Kaname heard Zero's voice. The Hunter was fine, from the sounds of it. Calming his racing heart and masking his presence, Kaname got closer and watched from a distance. His eyes widened as Zero slapped whoever he was with, demanding to know what was wrong with them. Kaname sniffed the air. It was Naoko, not that he was expecting anything else. It would've been more surprising if it was Kura-chan.

"Are you stupid? The vampires will smell the blood."

Zero crouched in front of Naoko, ripping his shirt. _What has Zero got in his pants?_ Kaname didn't get a good enough look at it when Zero spun around, staring back at him. Kaname stepped out. There was no point in trying to hide himself any longer. He stopped a few feet from Zero, trying to peer around the Hunter but Zero snapped his fingers, calling Kaname's attention back to his eyes. _He's hiding something. What has Naoko done now?_

"The scent of blood called me here, Kiryu. It also woke a few other vampires, who will have questions. What happened?"

"Nothing. Naoko fell asleep in a tree and fell out of it, cutting his arm."

Kaname's eyes scanned the ground, trying to find what it was that the boy could've possibly cut himself on. There was nothing on the ground, except Naoko's hat and a dead cat. Kaname looked at Zero again. "That doesn't look like nothing. I know I heard a cat fight earlier tonight but that cat looks as though it was mauled by a wild dog." Zero's eyes hardened and Kaname let a small sigh out. "Step aside, Kiryu. I can probably heal it."

Zero stepped to the side and Kaname looked around. What kind of joke were they playing? He knew that Naoko was there, behind Zero. He had seen parts of the boy sticking out from behind Zero's legs. The pureblood knew he wasn't insane and seeing things. He could still smell the boy's blood and looked at the dark patch on the ground. That was a lot of blood to lose.

"What's going on, Zero? Where's Naoko?"

Zero blinked, looking blank. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kuran. I never said anything about Naoko being here."

Kaname kept himself calm, though he had killed Zero five different ways in his mind. "Don't play dumb, Zero. You said he fell asleep in the tree, fell out of it and cut his arm."

"I never said that."

"I can smell his blood."

"All I can smell is that cat. I should clean that up before it starts to stink."

Kaname's jaw fell open. If it wasn't for the fact that he remembered Zero telling him, and he knew that Zero was lying to him, Kaname would've believed him. He turned away from Zero and went back to the dorm. There really was something that wasn't right. Zero had no reason to lie about what he said. So why was he? How was Naoko able to get out of the area without Kaname seeing him? Why was Naoko sleeping in a tree? Was Naoko the one that mauled that cat? Kaname got to his room, ignoring the questions fired at him. He didn't have an answer for them. He collapsed on his bed and closed his eyes, passing out.

* * *

"Aoi-kun, are you okay?"

Naoko's head snapped up. He stared down at Kaname with large, lively eyes. He had a cream doughnut in his mouth, which was grinning around as he nodded. He dropped out of the tree and landed on his feet in front of Kaname, removing the doughnut from his mouth, which he wiped the back of his hand. His dark hair seemed to shimmer in the small amount of light that was coming from the moon.

"I'm great, Kuran-san."

Kaname wiped a bit of cream off Naoko's cheek and licked his finger. _What am I doing? Why does Naoko look so different?_ Kaname frowned as Naoko's grin transformed. His human teeth were replaced with pointed ones, almost like a cat's. Bits of brown fur and flesh were in between them. Kaname looked down at his hand. He held the cat carcass from the previous night. Kaname dropped it and stared at Naoko, who was shirtless. A white bandage was around his left forearm.

"What happened, Aoi-kun?" Kaname took the limb in his hands, waiting for an explanation, while trying to figure out why he cared.

Naoko tilted his head and undid the bandage. Kaname gasped as he saw three angry looking wounds glaring at him. The skin around the incisions was red and inflamed. Naoko was suicidal? Just what the hell was he so happy about, anyway? The grin stayed on the boy's face. It was the middle of the night and he still had that hat on? Kaname reached to take it off but Naoko caught his wrist.

"When the Cheshire grins, you know you're being fucked around with," Naoko said chirpily, as he tilted his head, the bell ringing.

"What?" Kaname asked, tightening his grip on Naoko's arm. He looked down when he felt something running over his fingers. He frowned when he saw that Naoko was bleeding water. Salty water. _Tears._ Ruby drops caught his attention and he glanced up, seeing blood drip from Naoko's mix-matched eyes.

"Don't waste your time on me, Kaname. I'm too far gone for someone like you to catch." Naoko let go of Kaname's wrist and pulled his arm away. He stepped back, hands behind his back, his teeth going back to normal. He was bent slightly at the waist, the grin still on his face and dancing through his eyes. "I'm not worth your time."

"I'll be the judge of that, Aoi-kun." Kaname stood resolute. Yuuki had asked him to reach out to the boy and if it killed him, he was going to make sure Naoko knew there _was_ someone he could turn to. If his sister cared about what happened to Naoko, then Kaname would, too.

Naoko shook his head, the bell jingling with the movement. "The problem is, Kaname, that Yuuki is too caring for her own good. She refuses to believe that I'm a hopeless case; a lost cause. I guess that's why she turned to you. She still has hope for me."

Kaname frowned again as he watched Naoko. A jacket appeared on the boy, hiding everything from Kaname's eyes. "How can you be so happy while you degrade yourself like that, Aoi-kun? If Yuuki believes in you, then there is something in you that you're not seeing."

"I'm not the only one that's missing it. You are, too." Kaname opened his mouth to demand to know what that meant when Naoko pointed to the sky. "Hey, look! Cheshire grin moon tonight!"

Kaname raised his eyes to the night empyrean and saw that Naoko was right. He leveled his eyes to the boy, who was still staring at the sky. As Kaname studied the boy, he noticed a few similarities between the Cheshire grin and Naoko's. They were both mischievous and cryptic. Kaname pulled Naoko into his arms and held the boy securely.

"You're not alone, Naoko. You don't have to cry with blood anymore." Kaname's eyes widened as Naoko pushed him away and glared at him as he stroked the bell.

"Don't lie to me," he hissed.

"I'm not lying, Naoko." Kaname placed a hand on Naoko's shoulder.

A tear trickled from the corner of Naoko's green eye. He angrily wiped at it. "Yes, you are! Zero…He…I-I can't."

Kaname nodded and removed his hand. "In that case, when you feel you've invaded my dreams enough, perhaps this would work better if you spoke to me in person and I suggest soon. I'm waking up now."

* * *

Kaname opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were mix-matched ones. He sat up and stared at Naoko, who smirked at him. "Is this soon enough?"

Kaname blinked a few times, trying to remove the sleep from his eyes and to make sure he still wasn't dreaming. "How did you get in here without alerting everyone?"

Naoko looked thoughtful. "Where does no-one reside?"

"Nowhere but everywhere," Kaname answered immediately.

"Exactly," Naoko said in a sing-song voice with a grin.

Kaname frowned. It was too early to be dealing with something like that. He placed his back against the headboard of the bed. As he studied Naoko's face, he could see the evidence of sleepless nights the boy had been having. Kaname reached out to turn the boy's head towards him when his hand was slapped away and Naoko got to his feet.

"Please don't touch me." The boy grinned as he said it but Kaname saw through the cheerful expression and wanted nothing more than to rip it off his face. Same as he wanted to remove the hat and find out what it was that Naoko was hiding beneath it. Zero was never seen without a hood over his head and Kura-chan always had really thick headbands on.

Naoko sat on the floor and Kaname blinked at the boy. He was awake. It hadn't taken him long to wake up when he saw the strange eyes staring down at him. "Why were you invading my dreams?"

Naoko giggled and shrugged. "I guess so someone was thinking about me," he teased, hiding his blue eye.

"Aren't you a vain puppy."

Naoko tilted his head. "Woof!" he said enthusiastically and used a foot to scratch himself behind an ear, that Kaname never noticed he had never seen.

"Hm." That was all Kaname could say. He didn't think anyone would be thrilled about being called a dog. It was time to get down to business, though. Kaname got to his feet and stood in front of Naoko, looking down at the boy. "Why are you invading my dreams? How did you get into the dorm without alerting anyone? Why were you sleeping in a tree? Why aren't you getting sleep? What are your nightmares about? Who kidnapped you when you were eleven?"

"Stop it!" Naoko hissed, narrowing his eyes. He got to his feet. "Just stop it! Stop sticking your nose in where it isn't needed!"

Kaname's eyes hardened. "You started this when you began invading my dreams. Was I some sort of outlet for you? You seem to take away my memory of what happened in them, except the last bit."

Naoko lowered his eyes. "You don't need to remember them, Kuran-san." He looked out the window as thunder rumbled close by. "But please stop asking questions."

Kaname shook his head. "I think I have a right to know, Aoi-kun." Kaname watched as Naoko stroked the bell. "I want you to know that you can trust me."

Naoko gripped the small brass chime. "You'd be like everyone else, Kuran-san." He grinned.

Kaname glared with indignity. Like _everyone_? He wasn't just _anyone_. He was Kuran Kaname, damn it! He was already different but it only confirmed the pureblood's suspicion he had about Naoko. The boy had serious trust issues that would take a while to get through. "I'm not like everyone else, Aoi-kun. You know that but I'm not going to ask anymore questions. Except this one. Why do you wear the bell?"

Naoko brought the small braid around and stared down at the bell. "Let sleeping dogs lie, Kuran-san. It'll be the best thing for everyone concerned if you do." Naoko headed for the door.

Kaname caught the boy's wrist and immediately let go when he flinched in pain. "I'm not going to let this dog lay, Aoi-kun. Whatever happened to you and Kura-chan will probably happen to someone else and I'm not going to allow that."

"Kura-chan?" Naoko frowned and looked at the vampire. "What about Kura-chan? What happened to her?"

"Weren't you both kidnapped by the same people?" Kaname inquired tentatively.

"I wasn't kidnapped. I ran away from home."

Kaname resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That was the biggest load of crap the vampire had ever heard and that was including listening to Zero's angry rants or Yuuki's sugar induced hyperactivity. "Don't lie to me, Aoi-kun. I'm willing to kick this dog awake if it means I can figure out what happened to you, Kura-chan and Zero. I know all three of you are hiding something."

Naoko tilted his head, a thoughtful glaze covering his eyes. "Maybe you shouldn't be lying, as well. It's obvious that the only one you _really_ care about is Zero. Don't drag Kura-chan and I into this mess."

Kaname's eyes softened. "You can't protect her from the past, Aoi-kun. It's just impossible to do that. If whatever you three are hiding brings trouble to school, we'll need know what happened. I've no doubt that none of you have told the Headmaster everything that had happened but told him enough to silence his future questions. I'm not going to be like that. I need to know everything in order to protect you and the other students." The boy shifted and Kaname smiled to himself. Maybe it wasn't that difficult to get his trust after all.

Naoko frowned. "Then talk to someone at the Abbey or Zero."

Kaname sighed and closed his eyes. "Aoi-kun…Maybe I didn't make myself clear," he said as he stared at the boy, who was finding the flooring of the room to be very interesting. "I don't want the lives of anyone here to be put in danger. I don't even know how it was possible for them to reverse the effects of vampirism."

"Don't worry, Kuran-san, there aren't that many successes when it comes to the experiment. Zero and I were meant to be failures but we forced our body to accept the changes." Naoko turned away from the vampire. "At least he didn't have to remember," he whispered as he opened the door.

Kaname watched as the boy left the room and his presence disappeared as soon as the door was closed. That hadn't been anymore enlightening. If anything, there were just more lies and half-truths being tangled into the web. It was getting to the point where Kaname wasn't even sure if he would know where to begin. Maybe Naoko wouldn't be the easiest one to crack. The boy seemed rather resolute on keeping what had happened to him a secret.

_Naoko did open up, even if it was for a little while. He shut himself down when he realized, though._ Kaname looked out the window. It was a stormy day and he sighed. There was a bleak outlook and Kaname got the feeling that it matched Naoko's mood. All he had to do for that day was find Zero, ask a few questions and make a few threats. He really couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed that Yuuki and Zero had gotten together. When did it happen? Kaname sighed again. When did things become so complicated?

~ * ~  
End Chapter II.

So, you're still here, huh? But for how long? Will anyone review? Do any of you still love me? PLEASE SAY YOU LOVE ME!

Anyways, onto the best part of this chapter.

**irmina:** Their secret will be revealed in good time. In the meantime, if you're gonna continue to read this, I'm not updating until YOU update "Two Brunets and a Silver Angel". Ha! But thanks for your review~

**ben4kevin:** Yes, I'm glad that I've got your head going around in circles. I'm really sorry it wasn't the kind of story you were hoping for but I hope and pray you won't leave me. Thanks for your review.

**Alexia-09:** Thanks for your review! I know you won't leave me...will you? Of course not! Because unlike the others, I actually KNOW where you live!

**Taz:** LOL I know. The first time I read the word Abbey, Beyblade popped into my head as well! Hope some of your questions were answered in this chapter! Thanks for the lovely review!

**Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai:** Awesome. Thanks for your review and I hope you won't leave me, either!

**Amari-chan:** Well, there will be more of Zero in the next chapter, if you can wait that long. I'm glad to know you're a happy fan girl but for the life of me, I can't remember what was in chapter one to make you that happy! LOL Sad, right?

**Last night's pizza:** Well, I know it wasn't one of my fastest updates but to tell the truth, I was scared of posting this chapter. I hope this answered some of your questions!

**Panther:** Stop reviewing and get to work on the dream sequences, damn it! Oh that reminds me, I had better make a note of that.

**GoddessOfWrath:** Aww, thank you so much! I hope this chapter has continued to keep you interested!

**Mai Kurosaki:** Well, I never really planned to make the dream scary (and I'm kinda surprised you found it scary). But I'm really happy you found Zero's out of character-ness scary as well! That was meant to be major scare factor in this story! LOL Thanks for your review~

Now, there will probably be a couple more dreams in the story, depending on how many I want to throw in there. These dreams will be written by Danaeyl Panthernopaeus and he will be guest starring in some chapters. Not all because some of the chapters won't have dreams. Either way, I hope you've all enjoyed this update!

Yes, I know that I was shameless with my begging of keeping all my regulars to stay but I'm a shameless person, damn it! I don't want to lose any of you.  
Also, chapter twelve of "Sweet Deception" is currently in the works and I'm looking to have that completed very shortly.

Until the next one, please leave a review and have a great day!

Peace.


	4. Don't Promise Tomorrow III

**~Don't Promise Tomorrow~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie.

**Warnings for this chapter:** OCs, OOC.

**A/N:** I don't know if purebloods are affected by sunlight, but for the sake of this story, they aren't.

~ * ~  
Paint.

"You'd almost think they were brother and sister, right, Kuran?"

Kaname glanced at Zero, who wasn't wearing the jacket to the school uniform. Instead, he had a black hoodie on, with the hood up. He was looking for the Hunter, but the scent of their blood was identical and Kaname found Kura-chan and Naoko, weaving between trees in what looked like a game of tag. Kaname hadn't been able to move. He just watched, spellbound at the look of pure happiness on Naoko's face as he ran from Kura-chan, but never left her sight. As though he was scared that if she couldn't see him, he or she would disappear.

To Kaname, it did remind him of brother and sister. Especially the way that Naoko would hug Kura-chan randomly. If Kaname didn't know that Naoko was only trying to protect her, he would've thought the boy was in love with her. Naoko was the same way with Kura-chan as Kaname was with Yuuki. There was a bond there, but at least Kura-chan and Naoko knew what it was.

"Almost. I need to speak with you, Kiryu-kun."

"If you're gonna warn me about hurting Yuuki, get off your soap box, Kuran. I have no intentions of hurting her, again. If you wanna talk about what happened at the Abbey, don't bother. What happened there is between the four of us, including Yuuki. I don't think it's something you need to concern yourself with." Zero's eyes focused on Naoko and Kura-chan.

"What are you hiding? I went into Naoko's mind to find out and all I got was a carousel, with the music of a circus. Yuuki is worried about him, Kiryu-kun and if she's worried about him then I am, also."

Zero's eyes slid over to Kaname. "Right. And I guess I have nothing to do with this, either? You're _dying_ to know why I no longer need to depend on you. Why you aren't able to keep me under your thumb anymore. It's _killing_ you to know that there is a cure for vampirism. And I have to say, Kuran, I'm loving watching you squirm as you try to understand. But you're never going to."

Kaname raised an eyebrow. "It's nice to know that the cure did nothing for your despicable manners, Kiryu. I want you to remember one thing, though, when it comes to Yuuki, you and I have no say in what's going on. If she says jump, we ask how high. I thought you would know that by now."

"Just stay the fuck away from Naoko, Kuran. He's gone through enough and he doesn't need you to make him relive it all."

Kaname's brow creased slightly as he studied Zero. "You don't even know half of what he's been through, do you? You're trying to protect him from something, and you have no idea what that something is. You only know what happened to him for the three months that you were there."

Zero glared at Kaname. "Those three months were enough for me, Kuran. Let his demons stay dormant, you control freak. You don't have to know _everything_ about _everyone_ that walks through those gates. I brought him here so he could escape it. Not so he can be forced to relive it."

"I'm not going to force him to relive it, Zero. I happen to think that maybe he shouldn't keep it to himself. He was in there before you and Kura-chan. For all you know, he was probably one of the first subjects. Did that thought ever cross your mind? The trauma he could be going through ––"

"Which he isn't. Stop trying to act as though you have a heart, you demon."

"Stop trying to associate me with the one that bit you, Zero. I killed her so stop trying to project your hatred and self-loathing onto me. Also, if you want, I can introduce you to a real demon." Kaname crossed his arms over his chest, and lent a shoulder against the tree he was standing under as he watched Kura-chan and Naoko a little more.

Zero shook his head. "I doubt you would ever understand, Kuran. You're too self-absorbed." The Hunter turned to leave. "But stay away from Naoko."

"This is the first time I've seen him like this," Kaname said softly. "Are his nightmares really that bad that he had to sleep with you?"

Zero threw a frown over his shoulder. "What the hell is _that_ suppose to mean?" Zero sighed when Kaname looked at him with hard eyes. "Yeah. I never knew what they were about, but his screaming could pull a patient from a coma, just to tell him to shut up."

"With a remark like that, I can see that you care about him very much."

Zero rolled his eyes. "I unwillingly became his big brother, Kuran. I didn't want to get to know anyone at the Abbey. I didn't even want to be there. The doctors were weird and the way they fawned over him, like he was some sort of medicinal miracle. They would take him…" Zero trailed off, realizing what he was saying. "All I'm saying is that I didn't appreciate being woken up every night, because he was screaming bloody murder."

"And you're telling _me_ to stay away from him? I hope you're not like this with Yuuki, Kiryu. I don't want to kill a human."

Zero lowered his eyes. "Yuuki's different, to begin with. Her serenity isn't a defense and her smile isn't a mask. I don't know why she thought you would get him to open up. He never did it to me."

"Why not? You two shared a bed every night during your stay there."

Zero shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because that was then and this is now. If he won't open up to me, Kura-chan or Yuuki – especially Yuuki – you've got no hope in hell. Unless you manage to charm him with your pureblood magic. But, I guess that'd be a new low for you to sink to." Zero smirked and went to walk off, growling when his arm was caught.

"Just because you've decided to give up on him doesn't mean everyone else has, Zero. Life isn't always about what filling is going to be in the next chocolate."

"You don't even know him! How would you know if you're not going to give up on him? Oh…Of course. You'll make sure you stick it out to the end, no matter how much of your sanity he steals from you."

Kaname frowned and let go of Zero. "There is no polite way of saying this, Zero. You're a douchebag. The boy reached out to you for help, and you shoved him away. I was beginning to wonder who I should accuse for his trust issues, but I think I've found the culprit." Zero opened his mouth but Kaname hardened his eyes. "Shut up, Kiryu. There is no excuse for what you've done."

"Um…Please don't blame Zero, Kuran-san."

Kaname glanced at the puppies, which were standing with them. Naoko had his eyes nailed to the soil beneath his feet, and Kura-chan was shifting her weight from one foot to the other nervously. "Nao-kun is right, Kuran-san. There's no reason to blame Zero-kun or even me."

"It isn't by my choice, Kuran. I'm not this much of a fucking bastard. Come on, Kura-chan, I think it's time for you to sleep." Zero held his hand out to her and the girl took it, after sending a smile to Kaname.

Once the other two had left, Kaname looked at Naoko, who was using the toe of his shoe to dig up the dirt. "'Don't blame Zero'? Are you insane?" Naoko flinched and Kaname felt guilt creeping its way through his body. But he squashed it. He didn't have time to be gentle with Naoko. "If you can't turn to someone that was meant to be a failure as well, Aoi-kun, who can you turn to?"

"It doesn't matter if I'm alone, Kuran-san."

"It matters to me." Kaname placed a hand on Naoko's shoulder, who ducked from under the contact.

"Please don't touch me."

Kaname sighed and shook his head. It was easy to see how people were quick to give up on Naoko. He wasn't showing any signs of wanting someone to be near him or listen to him. Even if Yuuki hadn't asked him to do this, Kaname was beginning to wonder if he would've done it on his own. There was no doubt that Naoko needed someone he could lean on. Which was probably why it was paining the pureblood so much to know that there was someone, other than Zero's paranoia, that didn't trust him.

Naoko raised his head, grinning as he stepped past Kaname. "Do us both a favor, Kuran-san; give up on me. I'm not worth it."

Kaname lowered his eyes. He didn't want to give up on Naoko. He really wasn't going to be like everyone else. He followed the boy and fell into step with him. Naoko stopped and glanced at Kaname's chin, and the vampire was wondering why he was having such a hard time to meet his eyes. Not that Kaname was complaining. He still wasn't too fond of them.

"Why are you following me, Kuran-san?"

Kaname glanced up at the sky for a few moments before returning his eyes to Naoko, who was nervously scratching at his left wrist. "I thought you would want a companion for the night. You usually sleep outside, correct?"

Naoko nodded. "Yes. I…accidentally woke up the dorm one night."

Kaname smiled. "I'll stay with you tonight."

Naoko stared up at Kaname, frowning slightly as though he was expecting Kaname to laugh and say it was all a joke. "You don't need to. I don't sleep often."

"You need to sleep, Aoi-kun."

Naoko lowered his eyes and shrugged. "I'm not the best company at night." He started walking again, looking for his tree.

Kaname walked beside the boy. "Neither am I."

Naoko glanced at Kaname from the corner of his eyes and smiled. They arrived at the tree that Naoko apparently fell from and they sat down. They weren't really close and Naoko pulled his knees to his chest, staring down at the dirt as he made swirls in it with his finger. Kaname watched as the swirls began to make a picture and he shifted closer slightly, studying the lines and curls that seemed to make a building, and people inside of it.

"Is that the Abbey?"

Naoko quickly messed up the soil and shrugged. "Maybe. I don't have many memories of that place."

"I'm not going to pry, Aoi-kun but you don't need to lie to me, either." Kaname removed his coat and placed it around Naoko. "You should sleep."

Naoko laid down, curling into himself and bashfully gazed up at Kaname. "When I wake, will you be gone?"

Kaname closed his eyes and rested his head back against the trunk of the tree. "Not if my life depended on it, Aoi-kun. Goodnight."

"Goodnight…and thank you."

Y x Y

Kaname opened his eyes as Zero got closer. The Hunter had been out for the last hour, and the pureblood had no doubt that Zero was searching for Naoko. As far as Kaname knew Naoko never missed a day of school. The boy was currently using one of Kaname's thighs as a pillow, and was unfortunately drooling on him, as well. Other than that, Naoko was a silent sleeper.

"Nao…Kuran?" Zero's eyes flickered from Kaname's face to the head that was resting on a leg and back. "I didn't hear him scream last night."

Kaname nodded. "That's because he didn't have any nightmares."

Zero's eyes softened. "Thank you, Kaname; it's nice to know you still don't listen to any warnings." He crouched down and lightly stroked the hair that wasn't hidden by the hat. Zero's eyes widened when a mew left Naoko's lips and the boy shifted slightly.

"Did he just…mew?" Kaname raised an eyebrow. Zero's reaction to that sound wasn't something that Kaname was expecting.

"Yeah, he does that when he sleeps. I think he dreams that he's a cat." Zero stood and took a few steps back. "Yuuki will be happy to know that he's getting sleep." Zero turned to leave but paused after a few steps. "But maybe it would be best if you took him to his dorm room or somewhere else that's warm. He's not that good with keeping his body heat to himself."

"That explains why it felt like I was sleeping with a corpse."

Zero spun around. "What?" he hissed, eyes narrowing. "You didn't…"

Kaname smirked. "And what if I did, Zero?" Kaname shook his head when he saw Zero's fingers literally twitching to take hold of Bloody Rose, and shoot a few rounds into him. "I didn't. He's not my type."

"Good," Zero snarled. "Keep it that way. I'm not going to have him lose his virginity to a fucking vampire." Zero walked off, shaking his head.

Kaname cocked an eyebrow. Zero was very protective of Naoko, considering he was such a prick about having to take care of him during their time at the Abbey. But Zero seemed nice towards Kura-chan. What was that about? Naoko moaned as he rolled over, pressing his face into Kaname's abdomen. Without thinking, Kaname began stroking Naoko's hair, staring at a tree. Zero was acting more and more…bizarre with every day that was passing.

Kaname let out a silent sigh and closed his eyes. What was going on? One day, Zero couldn't care less about Naoko. The next, he was threatening Kaname about something to do with Naoko. The sudden changes were annoying, at best. At least Kura-chan and Naoko didn't change their moods that often. Both were extremely happy, both hiding something bad in their past. Kura-chan didn't seem as far gone as Naoko, though. And Kaname didn't think he would be the right person to pull the boy back from the brink.

At least when he was sleeping without nightmares, the boy looked really peaceful. Naoko must've been feeling more at peace as he was purring. Kaname's eyes opened. Naoko was purring? For the first time since meeting the boy, Kaname was actually a little nervous about looking at him. Slowly, he lowered his eyes to the head in his lap and got to his feet. Naoko's hat had fallen off, probably when he rolled over and Kaname could see the reason why he wore it.

Kaname raised an eyebrow as he stared. _That's different._ It was just another weird thing to add to list of creatures he had seen in his lifetime. Demons, werewolves, insane clowns, the Headmaster's cooking…but never the devil. He would have to meet that person at some point, though. Kaname resumed his petting, finding it more appropriate now. It made more sense to pet the boy, who was beginning to wake up.

Naoko blinked his eyes a few times before yawning and stretching. He moved onto his knees and looked around groggily. "Good morning, Kuran-san."

"Good afternoon, Aoi-kun." Kaname continued to stare at Naoko, who tilted his head.

"Is something wrong, Kuran-san? Did I do something while I was asleep? I snored, right? Drooled?"

"Well, you did drool – quite excessively. That's not the point right now." Kaname reached out to Naoko and took one of his ears into his hand. He gently tugged on it and Naoko closed his blue eye in discomfort. "How long did you think you could keep this from me?"

"I was hoping for another day…" Naoko gasped softly as Kaname began petting both ears. "Um…Could you be a little more gentle? They're rather sensitive."

"I'm sorry. I assume Yuuki did the same thing?" Naoko nodded and Kaname smiled. It was just like her to do that. "Are you going to explain this to me?"

"They're props for a convention I'm planning on attending?"

"If that didn't work on Yuuki, what makes you think it'll work on me, Aoi-kun?"

Naoko looked thoughtful. "Actually, I told Yuuki-chan the truth and she thought I was lying. So I told her that one and she believed it. It wasn't until she saw Zero that she realized I was speaking the truth. Oh!" Naoko grinned and lent closer to Kaname. "Zero does this really cute trick when you pull his tail!"

"You have a tail?"

Naoko blinked. "You don't find it strange that Kura-chan, Zero and I are hybrids but you're shocked that we have a tail?" Naoko shook his head, giggling quietly, bell jingling merrily. "You're more messed up than I thought you were." He lowered his eyes and they widened. "Wow! I did drool a lot! It must've been a good dream."

Kaname smiled. "I'm sure it was. How are you feeling, Aoi-kun?"

Naoko removed Kaname's hands from his ears and got to his feet, picking up his hat. "I'm not sure. I feel a little refreshed but I also feel that I could sleep for another week."

Kaname also stood, picking up his jacket and folding it over his arm. "You'll probably feel like that until your body gets used to sleeping again."

Naoko beamed and nodded. "Well, I should probably get to cla – Oh, I guess not!" The bell rang, ending the classes for the week for the Day students. "Well, I probably shouldn't hold you up any longer, Kuran-san. Thank you for last night." Naoko bowed slightly before he pulled his hat on; jumped onto a low branch of the tree they had rested under and climbed up.

Kaname walked back to the Moon Dorm. That was the cure for vampirism? He assumed that if they were to combat one disease with another, it might work. In this case, it _had_ worked. All three of them were showing no signs of being ex-humans or Level Es. It was nothing short of a miracle. If they did it often enough, people with ears and a tail wouldn't be so…strange to see.

As Kaname entered the dorm, he saw his inner circle there. He looked at them as Takuma stepped forward, looking anxious about whatever he was going to say. "Kaname-sama…You…don't have a cow in your room, do you?"

With a question like that, Kaname _had_ to stare blankly at the blond Noble. "No…? Should I?"

"It's just there is the scent of fresh milk coming from your room. Aidou thought we should investigate but he was thankfully restrained in his room by his cousin. And whenever we went to the door, the presence in your room disappeared." Takuma smiled, sparkling.

"Thank you, Takuma. I'll go and see what it is." Kaname nodded at the other vampires and ascended the stairs, trying to figure out who would be in his room, drinking milk.

It couldn't be Naoko because he was up a tree. Kaname really couldn't see Zero taking time out of his busy schedule of hating on vampires to see him for a second time that day. That only left Kura-chan, and Kaname was certain she wouldn't enter his room, without permission, to drink milk. Kaname walked into the room and saw Kura-chan sitting beside his bed, on the floor, a bottle of milk in her hand. She grinned at him and Kaname raised an eyebrow, closing the door.

"May I ask why you're in my room?"

Sakura shrugged and got to her feet, straightening her shorts. "Well, I figured that since Zero was sharing a bed with Yuuki last night and Nao-kun's screams didn't wake them or me, I was gonna ask if you were with him. Judging by the fact that you have a wet patch on your pants, I'll assume you were." She grinned. "Thanks, Kuran-san."

"That's it? You came by to thank me?" Sakura nodded enthusiastically. "You're not even curious on if I found out anything about the Abbey or the experiments they ran on you?"

"Well…considering all things, you already know that we have ears and a tail. Nao-kun told us, which is why I came here." Sakura lowered her eyes, almost as though she was thinking over her next words and Kaname got a feeling he knew what they were going to be.

"He's not my type, Kura-chan. I don't have any interest in him sexually. I only want to make him smile, the way he was when you and he were playing tag last night."

Sakura raised her head, eyeing Kaname cautiously. "That sounds more like love than lust. Hell, I could've lived with you only wanting to fuck him…but this is different."

Kaname blinked. What the hell was going on with the world? Kaname knew for a fact that he didn't love Naoko. He knew for a fact that there was no lust there, either. And he knew for a fact that whatever happened at the Abbey and possibly before the Abbey, left deep-seeded trauma in Naoko's young mind. And it was up to Kaname to work it out for him. Well, maybe there was _some_ affection.

"Kura-chan, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. I'm trying to help him because Yuuki is worried about him," Kaname explained, going to the closet and pulling out his uniform.

"Good god, man! Don't you have _any_ shame?" Sakura demanded, her blue eyes flashing. "So instead, you'd rather get his hopes up that maybe – just maybe – he's found someone that he can open up to and trust and then you're gonna tell him it was all because Yuuki-chan _asked_ you to do this? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kaname stared at Sakura. She was actually more intimidating than Yuuki when angered. "Why haven't you tried to get his trust?"

Sakura shook her head. "Don't you know anything about reading people, Kuran-san? Nao-kun just doesn't trust females. He tries to protect us instead. We trust him but we know we'll never get the same in return."

That explained a lot of things. "And what about Zero?"

"Weren't you paying attention last night? Nao-kun told Zero to distance himself. That's why we sent you! We figured you'd be able to handle it better!" Sakura put her hands on her hips and stared at Kaname. "You're meant to be a pureblood! I had no idea you guys were so stupid!"

Kaname raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, ignoring her generalization of the purebloods. He could get her back for that remark later. "'We'? All three of you were in on it? How can _you_ call yourself his friend when you're sending a vampire to befriend him?"

Sakura lowered her eyes. "Because he needs someone like you. Zero isn't strong enough to handle the mental torment. Nao-kun doesn't want to dump it on me or Yuuki-chan. We figured the only person who could help him would be you."

"And why me?"

Sakura shrugged. "Probably because you could handle whatever he throws at you. Haven't you been paying attention to our conversation?"

Kaname sighed. "Sakura, please leave."

Sakura threw the empty bottle at Kaname, not caring that he stepped to the side and it shattered on the wall behind him. "Just Kura-chan!" she shouted.

"I'm…Kura-chan?" Kaname looked around his room and saw that he was alone. There was a knock at the door. "It's fine, Takuma. I only dropped something."

"Also, Seiren has returned."

Kaname pulled his shirt back on and did up the buttons. "Send her in, please." His door opened and Kaname turned around. "Welcome back, Seiren. I wasn't expecting you to return so soon."

Seiren bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Kaname-sama. I got the information you wanted. Unfortunately, there isn't that much to go on." Seiren handed over five, thick files.

"Thank you, Seiren. If you're tired, please rest. I'll have someone notify the teacher of your absence," Kaname said as he took the files. Seiren bowed and left the room, while Kaname went to his office and sat at the desk. "Perhaps the Chairman knows more than he's letting on, as well."

Y x Y

Kaien nodded. "You can trust Kaname-kun, Nao-kun. He's not going to tell everyone about the condition that the three of you share."

Naoko nodded and removed his hat, massaging his ears. It hurt to have them cramped under there all day. He picked up his bottle of milk and took a large gulp. "Thank you, Headmaster Cross." Naoko's ears twitched. "Kuran-san is coming to pay you a visit."

Kaien got to his feet and stared out the window. "Thank you, Nao-kun. You really don't have anything to worry about."

Naoko giggled. "Like hell I don't, Ojii-san. Kuran-san's got some information that he's about to question you about. You should prepare yourself for it." Naoko got to his feet and pulled his hat on.

Kaien looked over his shoulder. "How do you know that? Have you been snooping?"

Naoko's eyes went wide. "Headmaster Cross! I'm shocked that you would think I would do something like that! No, I did something far less admirable. I eavesdropped. Like vampires are the only ones that can mask their presence. They can't even go invisible."

"Is that so, Aoi-kun?"

Naoko tensed and Kaien went into a goofy mood. "Good evening, Kaname-kun! We were just talking about you! But, I guess you already knew that. Can I ask what brings you here, Kaname-kun?"

Kaname smiled. "Aoi-kun, actually. I want to speak with him."

Naoko's eyes widened and he faced Kaname. "Look, Kuran-san, if something was set on fire, I was out of town. If something was broken, don't blame me, I wasn't even there. If something was stolen, I just got here. If someone died, I was sleeping with a very cute boy by the name of Alexander ––"

"You have an excuse for every possible crime?" Kaname and Kaien interjected.

Naoko ran them through his head. "I don't have one for interfering with a murder investigation. I'm working on it though." He grinned at them, ignoring the shocked look on Kaien's face and the raised eyebrow from Kaname. What did they expect? He'd had a lot of trouble with the police in the past. It was only natural to have excuses.

"Aoi-kun, you're not in trouble. At least not until something is found burnt, something has gone missing or was broken into or unless someone turns up dead." Kaname smiled again and held his hand to the door. "I would like to talk to you in private, if possible. Could we meet in my dorm room?"

Kaname looked at Naoko and let a small sigh out when he saw that the boy had disappeared. Kaien blinked at the pureblood. "He does that a lot. If you're planning on keeping him locked up for a while, take this." Kaien handed Kaname a bottle of milk. "It'll make him more docile. I laced it with catnip."

Kaname stared at the bottle. "You're drugging students now? Chairman Cross, there would be many times when I would say how wrong that is…unfortunately, in this case, thank you. Maybe I can get some answers out of him now."

Kaien watched as Kaname left the room and exhaled loudly. It was the only reason why Naoko wasn't as high stung as he had been the first day he arrived. Sure, he knew that drugging students wasn't the best way to go about getting someone to relax. But what was he meant to do? It was obvious that Naoko wasn't going to calm down on his own. It could cause some problems if the boy was to ever find out, though. Same with Zero. But Kaien had been drugging Zero for years, only to get the opposite effect.

Kaname smirked as he walked out of the building. He wasn't going to tell Naoko and Zero that their milk was being drugged. At some point he might, though. It would be interesting to see their faces and Kaname had never been able to detect the scent of catnip, so it was odorless. Kaien was cunning; Kaname would give the ex-Hunter that. The pureblood never would've thought to find a way to use catnip. Of course, the vampire also didn't know about their condition until that day.

"Oh, Kaname-senpai!" Yuuki flagged down the vampire. "Nao-kun and Zero are at the Headmaster's house. Nao-kun said you wanted to speak to him, but first you should speak to the rest of us. Kura-chan is asleep, though. That girl sleeps so much, I'm beginning to think she's becoming more cat than human!"

Kaname smiled and nodded, following Yuuki to the Headmaster's living room. The pureblood didn't have to force himself not to stare at Zero. The white ears didn't look as out of place on Zero as Kaname had thought they would. The prefect had his tail out, as well. Naoko's words entered Kaname's mind. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see what that 'cute trick' was.

Kaname glanced at Naoko. The boy was prompting Kaname with his eyes. Kaname sighed silently. He was curious about the trick, and decided he would be an angel of mercy, and pull Zero's tail. When the prefect walked past him, Kaname took hold of the tail and gave it a gentle tug. Zero's reaction was not what Kaname was expecting from the silver haired male.

Zero hissed, his back going rigid. And then, just when Kaname didn't think the cat genes could take any more of an effect, Zero tried to run and hide under the sofa. Unfortunately, Zero must have forgotten that he was still human. His skull made a sickening crack as it collided with the wood frame.

Naoko and Yuuki laughed. Kaname blinked. He honestly was not expecting that. He thought that maybe Zero would swipe at him. He didn't know that Zero could hiss like an actual cat. Kaname cleared his throat. He did want to know why Zero tried to hide under the sofa. He knew that cats enjoyed hiding under there, but Zero was still more human.

Zero rubbed his forehead, and glared at Kaname. That was the Zero that Kaname knew and loved. He decided it would be best if they got down to business. He still had a ton of questions that needed answering. The sooner he knew what was going on, the better it would be for him. Then he could start to worry about how they were able to teleport, and who it was that broke into Seiren's room.

Naoko smiled, as he got to his feet. Kaname thought about Zero's words from the previous night. He never thought that someone would wear a smile as a mask. It was the comedy and tragedy masks. There was always something hidden, somewhere in someone. Kaname wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was being hidden, now that he had found out their common secret.

"I think you need to speak with Zero and Yuuki-chan more than me. I will be in my room." Naoko looked at them with closed eyes. "Goodnight."

Kaname watched as Naoko walked out of the living room. He wanted to speak to the boy more than Yuuki and Zero. He figured that any questions he had a Naoko – which was almost all of them – could wait until he found out the procedure for curing vampirism.

"Go a head and ask them, Kuran," Zero said, taking a seat beside Yuuki.

"You know what questions I'm going to ask, Kiryu-kun." Kaname crossed his legs. He would wait as long as it took Zero to answer.

Zero rolled his eyes. He was grateful to know that some things never changed. "I don't know the _exact_ process that was used. All I know is that it was a series of injections. They could have been shooting me with up LSD, for all I know. This could be a dream I'm having." The Hunter shrugged. "Anything else you wanna know?"

"What made you and Nao-kun so special?"

Zero lowered his eyes. Yuuki bit her lower lip, placing a gentle hand on Zero's shoulder. "Our body refused to accept whatever it was they were injecting. Nao-kun's blood seemed to have a natural defense against it. I think that was why they took a special interest in him."

"Does anyone know what happened to him there?" Kaname asked. It seemed he was getting the same answer from everyone, including Naoko.

"Only Naoko knows. He won't talk to anyone about it," Yuuki answered.

Zero had his eyes nailed to the floor. Kaname studied the hybrid. "Is there something on your mind, Kiryu-kun? Maybe you remember something?"

Zero shook his head. "I saw something, one night. I know I did. Whatever I saw has been removed. I know that Naoko invaded my dream the same night, and since then I haven't been able to recall what it was. I think he wiped it from my memory."

Kaname already knew about Naoko's ability to remove memories. That much was evident when Naoko removed whatever it was Kaname dreamt about. He wanted to know what was in his dreams. Naoko obvious said something in them, to make him remove them. How was the hybrid even getting inside his head? Kaname's defenses were unbreakable. Even in his sleep.

Naoko had to know his way around a mind. Everyone had their own defenses, when trying to stop an invasion. Kaname had set up several elaborate decoys, to make sure no-one ever knew what he was thinking. He couldn't afford to let just anyone into his head.

Kaname grew worried. If Naoko was able to enter his dreams, what else was he able to do? What else had the boy seen? Had he removed something else? Was he able to get into Kaname's memories, and take something away? Kaname wouldn't be any wiser. The same thing had happened to Zero. And while Zero's mind wasn't as guarded as Kaname's, it was crazy in there. Would Naoko remove memories just for the fun of it? Kaname doubted it.

Kaname's mind went back to the dreams. For the life of him, he couldn't think of a reason why Naoko would remove them. He couldn't think of a reason why Naoko would say something in them. Kaname mentally smiled. Naoko probably worked under the assumption that people rarely believed what they dreamt. That allowed him to be free in revealing anything he wanted to Kaname. He removed them just in case the vampire decided he didn't have an overactive imagination.

The Pureblood got to his feet when he sense Ichijou. There was no reason for the blond vampire to be near the Headmaster's house. He politely excused himself, and left the building. Outside, Kaname saw Takuma hanging around nervously. He glanced up, relief passing through his eyes when he saw Kaname.

"Kaname-sama, Seiren has returned. She was attacked, however."

Kaname got the feeling that that would be the case. No-one had heard about the Abbey. There had to be a reason behind that. If people didn't want something to be known about, they would usually go to drastic measures to keep it that way. Kaname was scared about how drastic the Association was willing to, when it came to keeping that secret. He hoped that Seiren wasn't too damaged, as he ran to the Moon Dorms.

As he passed the Sun Dorms, Kaname caught the scent of fresh milk and paint.

~ * ~  
End Chapter III.

I know it's been over a year since I last updated, but that was because I decided to step away from fanfiction. It took me a year, but I finally realized what I loved the most about fanfiction over writing original stories. The characters are so much simpler!  
Now, I'm aware that a lot of my readers don't like the Zero/Yuuki thing that's going on, so please believe me when I say that the story won't end with that pairing. It is a temporary thing. I hope that gets some of you back!  
And I hope that this chapter answers some of the questions all you ONCE had!

Now for my favorite part. A word to my lovely reviewers!

**irmina:** I know it's been a while, but what exactly did Naoko say that made you curious? I reread the chapter, and I couldn't find what it was. But I hope that you continue to leave your kickass reviews. I've missed them so much! *cries*

**ben4kevin:** I know, I know. But I crumbled to your will. There probably won't be much, if any Kaname/Zero in this story. It is meant to be a friendship story, of some description. Chances are, I'll probably forget what I'm meant to be doing, and it will take a totally different direction! Hope to hear from you again! I've missed you so much, too! *cries like a little girl*

**fujoshii92:** I'm glad that you're finding it interesting. I'm hoping that this story will be KaZe later, too. I'm not making any promises, as I had forgotten about this story. I may have also forgotten the plot behind it. Thanks for all your reviews, and I hope to see more of them in the future!

**KiryuSame16:** It was because of you that I decided to open this story up again. I hope this chapter was to your liking. I hope to see more of your reviews!

**To everyone who has alerted/favorited:** Yes, this story is back, for now. I'm not sure how long it will be before I grow bored of it, or do something that screws it up and makes me lose all my viewers again. But thanks anyway!

**To everyone else:** Feel free to drop a line. This puppy is back! And it is mother-licking adorable!

Until the next chapter, have a great day!

Peace.


	5. Don't Promise Tomorrow IV

**~Don't Promise Tomorrow~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie.

**Warnings for this chapter: **Slight insanity, language, shounen-ai, OC and OOC.

**Guest Author:** Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.

~*~  
Proximity

Kaname burst into the Moon Dorm. He ran up the stairs, and into Seiren's room. He had no idea what was going on. She had returned earlier that day. Did she go out for something else? Did she forget something? That wasn't likely. It was more likely that someone had impersonated her. But Kaname was certain he would see through any disguise.

In Seiren's room was Kura-chan. She looked over the vampire with anxiety, almost as though she felt responsible for what had happened. Kaname would have questions for her later. All that mattered at the moment was making sure Seiren would survive. He had to know what was going on. He had to know who it was that gave him the files he received.

"She'll make it through the night, Kuran-san. She stinks like the Abbey, though. Did you send her there, for some reason?" Kura-chan stepped back, allowing the Pureblood to look his secretary over.

Kaname pulled back the covers. He stared at the bandages that covered eight-three per cent of Seiren's body. Some of them were beginning to spot with blood. Her breathing was shallow, and rapid. Kaname couldn't believe that something like that had happened. He felt certain that nothing bad would go wrong.

Kaname turned to Kura-chan. She had her eyes lowered, as though she was thinking about something. It wouldn't be surprising. After all, Kura-chan and Naoko seemed to be nothing by mysteries. They always knew what was going on. It was possible that Kura-chan knew about what had happened with Seiren. And once he found out what that was, he could then find out _how_ they always knew.

Kaname placed a hand on Kura-chan's shoulder. Her eyes snapped up. Emotions swirled, and rolled around in the dark sapphire orbs. Before he could say anything, Kura-chan shook her head. "It has already begun," she said sadly.

Kaname lowered his eyes. He had no idea what Kura-chan was speaking about. "What has?" he asked. If his vampires were being targeted, he had to know. He had to protect them, Zero and Yuuki.

Kura-chan pointed out of Seiren's window. Kaname had no idea what she was trying to tell him. All he saw was the moon. The first quarter. When he looked back at Kura-chan, he was surprised to see that she was gone. Obviously whatever had begun wasn't something she wanted to talk about. Well, that was too bad for her. Kaname needed to know.

An almost inaudible groan came from Seiren. She opened her eyes slowly, and looked around. She was glad to know she had made it back to the Academy. Her eyes landed on Kaname. "Kaname-sama…It has begun."

Kaname got on one knee beside the bed. "What has begun, Seiren?" He really hoped she would remain conscious enough to tell him.

"The…" She trailed off, and closed her eyes. "I can't remember. I was only told to tell you that it has begun. You need to be careful. They are everywhere and nowhere."

Seiren lost consciousness, and Kaname stood. With a sigh, he left her room, telling Takuma to make sure there was a guard with her. He wasn't going to run the risk of her life being taken. He went back to his room, and looked at the files. He knew he had left them on his desk. It didn't make any sense as to why they were on his bed, spread out. It looked as though someone had gone through them.

Kaname picked up one of the files. He flipped through the pages. Someone had gone through them. Kaname was regretting only skimming them. Whoever had gone through the files had blacked out several lines of information. He shook his head. They were useless now. He had no idea about the Abbey anymore. Not unless Kura-chan, Naoko or Zero finally opened up to him about it.

He couldn't see that happening. None of them were eager to talk about that place. And Kaname didn't blame them. It didn't seem friendly. Even the name would be enough to strike fear into the hearts of those that knew about it.

Kaname collected the files, and returned them to his desk. He could only hope that Seiren had made a copy. If she was the one that had given them to him. He came to the conclusion that Naoko would have to start talking. Extracting information from Zero was nearly impossible, and Kura-chan was rarely around.

Kaname looked at the moon, again. For some reason, he always thought of Naoko as the strange one of the three. Kura-chan didn't like her name, and threw a world class tantrum whenever she was addressed by it. Kaname got the feeling it could have something to do with her family. She knew her parents were still alive, but she hadn't seen them since she got out. Why?

Kaname picked up Kura-chan's file. He was thankful that whoever went through the files didn't touch those ones. He reread the information that Seiren had gathered on the female hybrid. There was nothing that stood out, just like the last time. She was a normal girl, with a normal family. It was the kind family that many children would want to go running back to, if they had been kidnapped.

Kaname sat down at his desk. He could understand why Zero would bring Naoko back with him. If he had been at the Abbey, and Naoko had been there, Kaname would want to keep an eye on him, too. But Kura-chan was only there for two and a half months. She seemed completely normal. Did something happen to her? Something that only she and Naoko knew about? Zero didn't seem as protective of her, as he did with Naoko.

Kaname got the feeling he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. He had too much to think about. How was he going to get the information he needed? He placed Sakura's file aside, and looked through the files on the Abbey. If he was lucky, he might be able to piece together something. He got to the last file, and frowned as there weren't any black lines in it.

As he read, Kaname knew why that was the only file not to be tampered with. It had nothing in it. It was just the design, and the lies used for the construction. The Association had to know what was going on there. There wasn't any way they could turn a blind eye to it. Of course, it was the Association. They wouldn't be too bent out of shape if a few Level E vampires were killed. And the ones that weren't killed were saved. Eventually, they would look like heroes.

Kaname reached for Naoko's file. He frowned and searched his desk. He looked in the draws, and even on the floor, just in case it fell. He couldn't find it. Someone had stolen his file on Naoko? That seemed a little pointless, unless it was Naoko who did it. There wouldn't be any reason for the hybrid to take it, though. As far as Kaname could remember, there was nothing in it. Nothing that would warrant someone stealing it, anyway.

Kaname looked at his door when there was a knock. He got to his feet, and opened it. There wasn't anyone there. Not that he was expecting someone to be there. He hadn't sensed anyone. He couldn't see any reason for Kura-chan or Naoko to play with him. He stared down the hallway, blinking when he thought he saw the tip of a white tail. When his eyes opened, there was nothing there.

With a shake of his head, Kaname went back to his room. He had too much going through his mind to worry about disappearing hybrids. His eyes widened when he saw that the files were strewn across his room. There wasn't an inch of floor uncovered. The same with his bed. Someone obviously decided they were going to have fun. And Kaname had no idea who it was.

Kura-chan didn't seem like the type of person to do such a thing. And Naoko was only known for invading someone's dreams, and removing their memories. Zero sure as hell wouldn't be in Kaname's bedroom without a damn good reason. Would destroying any evidence of Naoko's time at the Abbey constitute as a good reason? The Pureblood doubted it.

With a sigh, Kaname began gathering the papers. He had no idea which files they belonged to, so he just put them in a pile on his desk. He would get to the bottom of things, before they got too far out of hand. He _would_ find out what happened at the Abbey. And he _would_ find out who it was that was breaking into the Moon Dorm.

"_Don't worry, Kuran. There aren't that many successes."_ Zero's words ran through Kaname's mind. He wanted to know why the cure took with some people, and not with others. What was it about Kura-chan, Naoko and Zero that made them special? What was it about their blood that was different? Kaname couldn't even remember what blood type Kura-chan or Naoko were. He could easily find out what Zero's is, but for some reason, the idea that it is a specific blood type didn't seem to float too well.

Kaname glanced over his shoulder. He saw a piece of paper stuck to his door with a dagger. He had no idea why the person couldn't have taped it up, like a normal person. With a sigh, he went over to it. He removed the dagger, and unfolded the paper.

"_It has begun. There is nothing you can do to stop it, Pureblood. When the Cheshire grins we will…"_ And that was all. Kaname had no idea why the person writing the note would leave it there. Who was 'we', and what did they have to do with Kaname? As far as he could remember, there wasn't any reason for him to be in anyone's bad books. He had been behaving himself. As far as he knew.

Kaname put the note on his desk, along with the dagger. He went to his bathroom, quickly showered and went to bed, without dressing. He knew none of the vampires would be disturbing him. And it would seem that his visitor had had enough fun for the night. That left him with only speculation.

How many successes had there been? Once Zero had forced his body to accept the changes, he came back to the school. That had been a month ago. How many others were there? How many did the Abbey test on? How many deaths were there? Was that the reason why there were so few Level Es running around lately?

Kaname closed his eyes. Asking himself all those questions wasn't getting him any answers. If he wanted to know about the Abbey, he would have to find it. Until then, he would wait until Seiren was healthy enough to answer some of the questions he had for her.

Kaname drew in a deep breath, trying to relax. When Cheshire grins…He had heard that somewhere before. Someone else had said it. He had no idea who it was, or where it was. But he knew that he had heard it before that night.

For some reason, an image of Naoko entered his mind. The hybrid smiled at him, pointing to the moon. His mix-matched eyes sparkled happily – true happiness. Kaname wasn't sure why that picture came to mind. But somehow, it relaxed him. At times, Naoko had that ability.

* * *

Kaname smiled as he looked around at the giant field of white cosmos. Running between the flowers were Naoko, Kura-chan and Naoko's sister. Kaname had no idea how he knew the other girl was Naoko's sister, but it just felt right. He stood at the edge, peering in. It was as though he didn't want to interrupt the precious time they had together. It would all be ripped away.

A gentle breeze brushed over the field, and a small lake appeared in the center. Kura-chan and Naoko's sister giggled loudly, as they splashed each other. Kaname lowered his eyes. They weren't the ones that he was interested in. Naoko was chasing butterflies, appearing more and more like a kitten. His ears and tail gleamed in the late morning sun.

Kaname's eyes slid back over to Kura-chan. She was missing her ears and tail. She had become a regular human, once more. She never looked happier. Kaname could feel his smile start to disappear. If she was human, was Zero also?

Kaname looked around the field. He spotted a little cottage to his right. Naoko was standing at the door. He had a handful of the flowers. His other hand was on the handle. He looked over his shoulder, grinning at Kaname. The hand that had the flowers was raised, waving Kaname over to him.

The vampire took a step, but paused. Whose house was that? Would he be allowed in? Naoko was inviting him, so it didn't make much of a difference. Kaname walked over to the cottage, standing beside Naoko. The hybrid nodded his approval – of what? Kaname had no idea – and opened the door.

The inside of the cottage had the bare essentials. There was a wood stove, and oven. There was a shag rug on the floor, with a table for four on top of it. There were no modern day electronics. Even the lighting was provided with the use of candles. The whole building had a sort of Germanic feel to it.

The flowers were placed in a vase, which was in the center of the table. Naoko removed the jacket he wore, and hanged it over the back of a chair. Beneath the jacket, he wore a hoodie. It was strange for him to wear a jacket beneath a jacket. He pointed to a chair, for Kaname to sit. There wasn't any reason for him not to trust the hybrid, so Kaname did as requested.

Naoko poured milk into two glasses, handing one to Kaname. He took a seat on the chair with his jacket, and grinned, staring out the window in front of him. Kaname took a sip of the milk. It wasn't often that he drank the liquid, and never really had a reason to, unless it was in a situation like then.

There were footsteps above him, and Kaname raised his eyes. He couldn't sense anyone else in the house. And when he thought about it, he hadn't sensed Naoko. Kaname decided to ignore the movement. Sitting in silence with Naoko was more comforting than Kaname ever thought it would be. There wasn't any tension.

Everything was tranquil.

Zero walked downstairs, a syringe in his hand. The syringe held a pale yellow liquid in. Naoko looked at Kaname, before he got to his feet. He met Zero half way, rolled up the sleeve on his shirt, and waited for Zero to get the injection ready.

Kaname frowned. Was that the substance that had cured the three of them? He had no idea. None of them had said anything about it. There wasn't any information about it, either.

Naoko looked over his shoulder. His eyes met, and held Kaname's as he was injected. Kaname ran over to Naoko, and removed the needle before all of the liquid was in his body. He wrapped his arms around the boy, and held him tightly.

Zero watched them, and Kaname pulled the Hunter closer, as well. Before Kaname could stop himself, he pressed his lips to Zero's. Zero didn't struggle or fight to get free. Instead, he kissed back. He became increasingly more aggressive, to the point where he ripped Kaname's head back with a handful of his hair. Kaname groaned, allowing the Hunter to do whatever he wanted for the time being.

Kaname pulled back when Naoko shifted in his arms. The hybrid had his eyes lowered, and a dark crimson shade spread over his cheeks and nose. He coyly glanced up from under his bangs. Zero smiled, dipped his head and pressed their lips together. It was sweet and gentle. It wasn't primal desire, as it had been with Kaname. Naoko needed the tender touches.

Kaname watched. He had never seen Zero be quite so loving towards someone. He hoped the Hunter was that caring with Yuuki. Kaname's eyes widened a fraction. Yuuki! What would they do if she ever found out? Kaname scolded himself mentally. It was a dream. She would never find out. And even if she did, she would probably want pictures to prove it happened…and to add to her collection.

Naoko's hoodie was unzipped. He tensed as Zero began to push it off his shoulder. Naoko shook his head. "No, Zero. Don't…" He glanced over his shoulder, at Kaname.

"Don't worry about him, Naoko. He won't judge you."

Kaname waited for the shirt to be removed. He stared at Naoko's back, his eyes widening dramatically. He wasn't going to say anything about it. After all, it wasn't his place to question the tattoo or the scars. Instead, he kissed a shoulder, running his hands down to Naoko's hips.

Naoko gasped. Zero looked up at Kaname, as he ran his tongue along the hybrid's throat. His hands went south. He felt Naoko tense, and lowered his eyes. The hybrid was trying to step back; trying to get away from the contact. Zero knew that Naoko didn't like to be touched, but it was time that habit was broken.

Kaname wrapped his arms around Naoko's shoulders. He could feel how uncomfortable the hybrid was. He slipped inside the boy's mind, forcing himself not to sigh when he heard the carnival music. He could still see the empty carousel.

As Kaname watched the carousel, he saw three figures appear on the horses. Every time a pole passed the figures, they came into focus a little more. Eventually, the figures had faces and clothing. Kaname couldn't see them, though. It didn't matter how much he squinted. It was as though there was a pane of frosted glass in front of them.

Who were they, and why were they on Naoko's carousel? Kaname got the feeling he knew the answers to those questions. They were obviously from the Abbey, and they were imprinted in Naoko's fragile mind.

Kaname wanted to leave Naoko's head, but something was holding him in place. The carousel disappeared. He was inside a building. A door was opened a crack, and an orange light spilled out into the dark hallway. A scream sounded from the room, and Kaname went to move. He froze when he saw Naoko step up to the door. He clutched a dirty pink bear.

Naoko's eyes widened, and Kaname walked over to the boy. He went to look through the door. It suddenly slammed shut, and the hallway disappeared like a picture on a piece of paper that was being scrunched up. They stood in a black abyss. Beneath his feet, the ground rippled as though he was hovering above a lake, and it was raining.

Kaname turned around on the spot. He knew he was no longer in Naoko's mind. He had been kicked out, and appeared to be in subspace.

"I always thought my curiosity would get the better of me. You just invite yourself into anything."

Kaname turned on the spot. The voice wasn't familiar in the slightest. It had to be someone he knew. Why else would they speak to him as though they knew him? Of course, it could be that it was someone from the Abbey.

Kaname stopped turning. There was dripping coming from somewhere. It sounded like a kitchen sink. The echo was almost deafening. "If this isn't Naoko's mind, then whose is it?"

The voice chuckled. "Please call me Mister. You were directed here from Naoko."

Kaname frowned. What was happening? Who in the hell was Mister? And how had Naoko kicked him into this mind? It had to be someone from the Abbey, otherwise they wouldn't know what was happening. Not unless Naoko did this often.

Kaname pushed his hair out of his eyes. The dripping was beginning to irritate him. That was its intention, naturally. The more he focused on it, the more annoying it became. Mister seemed content to keep him there. Kaname couldn't find an exit anywhere.

"You know where the exit is. If you are one of us, then you will know how to get out of here."

Kaname tilted his head. So Mister didn't know he was a vampire. Was it only other experiments that Naoko kicked over to Mister's mind? Didn't he have the ability to wipe their memories? So why was he there? If Naoko had that opportunity, he would have taken it. He wouldn't bother playing games like this.

Kaname's eyes widened. A light went in the distance of Mister's mind. In a yellow glow was a door. Nailed to the wood was Naoko. The scent of his blood was everywhere. His feet and fingers twitched, as though he was trying to hold onto his last breath.

"_Kaname_," his voice whispered.

"Naoko…Wha…How?"

"_Wake up, you daft bastard!_"

Kaname looked down at his right arm. Bite marks appeared. He was still in Mister's mind, though. The dream had just become a reality. Was he really stuck in another's mind?

"_That didn't work. I don't know what to do…_" Naoko sighed sadly. "_Do you see the door?_"

"Of course I see the door," Kaname responded.

"_Well, don't open it. If you do, you'll have to deal with everything Mister's mind can think of. And let me tell you, there is no limit._"

Kaname blinked. That did not inspire confidence. He went over to the door, and reached out to touch Naoko's cheek. The hybrid disappeared; wavered from existence. His blood remained smeared on the door, and slowly the splotches moved around to form the words 'HELP ME'.

Kaname glanced over his shoulder. Behind him there were three girls in white dresses playing hopscotch. They laughed merrily, which seemed to echo through the abyss.

"One, two buckle my shoe. Three, four knock at the door. Five, six pick up sticks. Seven, eight lay them straight. Nine, ten time to die again!"

Kaname's eyes widened as the girls looked at him. Their eyes and mouths were black holes on their pasty faces. They shot at him, as though fired from a canon. Their fingers were like claws, which scratched every available surface. In a flash of blinding light, the girls shrieked and withdrew.

"_Kaname, I think I have found a way for you to get out,_" Naoko said. "_Kill yourself._"

"What?" Kaname demanded, glaring into the darkness. "Are you insane? If I get out of here, I'm going to kill you."

Kaname heard Naoko sighed exasperatedly. "_Would you stop freaking out? If you kill yourself inside Mister's mind, then he will have nothing to hold you with. You should return to your body._"

Kaname hated Naoko. He had made too much sense, and seemed to know too much about what was going on. Still, he wanted to get out of Mister's mind before that person grew bored of him standing in the abyss, and forced the door to open to reveal god knows what.

"How do I kill myself?"

Naoko groaned. "_Do I have to think of _everything_?_" he asked, not bothering to hide his irritation. "_So freaking useless! How would you kill yourself? There. Enjoy._"

Kaname narrowed his eyes. "Look, it isn't my fault that I'm here. You were the one who kicked me over here."

"_Because you were the one who invaded my dream!_" Naoko shot back, and Kaname could imagine the glare on the hybrid's face. It was almost adorable.

"Fine."

Kaname decided it would be best if they stopped arguing. Trying to find a way to kill himself was not going to be easy, though. There was nothing for him to use, except the six sticks that the girls had been playing with, until they decided to attack him.

Kaname went over to the sticks and picked them up. They were basic twigs, but he guessed he could stab himself in the heart. As he broke one of the sticks in half, Kaname glanced at the door. Naoko's blood had formed a different word – die. It was not the nicest thing someone's blood had ever said to him, but Kaname had heard a lot worse from Zero.

As Kaname got ready to stab himself, a carousel appeared. On it was Naoko and his sister. They laughed happily as they spun around and around. Behind the carousel is what had Kaname interested. A man stood there. As handsome as Kaname, with long black hair and the most vibrant amethyst eyes Kaname had ever seen. The man watched Naoko for a few minutes, before his eyes flickered up to Kaname.

The sticks disappeared from Kaname's hand, and he glared at the man. Suddenly the carousel disappeared, and the man had his arms around Naoko's shoulder. The hybrid stared at him, smiling as the man's hand pierced his back, took hold of his heart and crushed it.

The man let Naoko's body fall to the floor, and he licked the blood off his index finger. With his clean hand, he snapped his fingers and Zero appeared. Kaname's eyes widened a fraction.

"Don't you dare," he warned.

"You are powerless to stop it," the man said.

Mister. Kaname knew he would never forget that voice again, for as long as he lived. "Get away from hi ––!"

* * *

Kaname woke with a gasp. He stared at the healing wound over his heart, and saw Zero stand above him with Bloody Rose out. He had no idea what had happened, but his head felt as though it had been beaten against a wall several hundred times.

Kaname looked at the piece of paper that was in his hand. The words still made no sense to him. But that was something he could worry about later. At the moment, he had to find out why Zero had just shot him in the chest, and why in the hell he had one of the most fucked up dreams known to man and vampire. From what he could remember of it, he had invaded one of Naoko's dreams, until the boy kicked him out. Whose mind had he ended up in?

Naoko looked around Zero, his eyes lighting up when saw that Kaname was awake. "I'm sorry that it had to come to that, Kuran-san. You didn't seem to be doing anything about it, though."

Zero holstered Bloody Rose. "So, wanna tell me what the hell just happened? I don't really care; seeing as I got to shoot you."

Kaname held up the note he had been clutching. "This was on my desk, stabbed in with a dagger. I almost got the feeling that we had been attacked by pirates. I think I fell asleep, and had the strangest dream. Naoko, who is Mister?"

Naoko averted his gaze. He had been hoping that Kaname wouldn't remember that part of the so-called dream. It wasn't something he really wanted to talk about, but with a war beginning and the school as its target, he knew that he could withhold information. Not only would it make him appear guilty, but he might lose the trust of Kaname.

"Mister was like an older brother to many of the test subjects at the Abbey," Naoko explained quietly. "He protected us as best as he could, and told stories of a time where we wouldn't be scared anymore. He disappeared a week before Zero arrived. But I knew that he wasn't dead. He had the strongest ability out of everyone at the Abbey – even strong than Kura-chan!"

"What has 'begun', Naoko?" Kaname demanded. He didn't want to seem impatient, but he would be damned if he was going to let anything happen to that school, and to Zero before he could win the hybrid's heart.

Naoko closed his eyes. He knew how the war was going to end. He knew there wouldn't be any survivors, and that was before Kaname located the Abbey and destroyed it. "You know what has begun, Kuran-san. You always knew this day would come."

Kaname frowned slightly. Was Naoko talking about the war between vampires and humans, a war that Kaname had been dreading for some time? A war that he had tried his god damned hardest to prevent? No, it couldn't be that war. It would have no affect on Naoko or the Abbey, which seemed to be what the boy was protecting. But why would he protect a place that had so plainly tortured him and his sister?

Kaname blinked. Where had that thought come from? No one had told him anything about their time at the Abbey. Why would he assume that Naoko had been tortured? Why would he even begin to think that Naoko's sister had suffered the same fate? He had nothing to base any of this off of. But there was one thing he knew. Naoko wasn't protecting the Abbey; he was protecting Mister.

"You kicked me into Mister's head. You could have just woken me up. Why would you send me there?" Kaname asked, staring intently at Naoko.

"It was a force of habit. Mister always said that if we ever want to be rid of someone, we can send them to him and he would deal with them." Naoko hung his head. It was an act that reminded Kaname a great deal of a child being scolded for stealing a cookie. "It is the only way I know he is still alive."

Zero, who had been strangely quiet during the entire conversation, glanced down at Naoko. "Mister was the one all of you talked about, right?" Naoko nodded slowly. "The one that apparently made the bad dreams go away. He was the first, if I remember correctly."

"The first?" Kaname repeated.

Zero's eyes flashed to Kaname for a second, before they returned to Naoko. "Go to bed, Naoko. Ask Yuuki for a glass of warm milk."

Naoko looked as though he wanted to fight Zero on that order, but instead just nodded and left the room. "Good night," he called to them quietly, before the door closed.

Once they were alone, Zero nodded. "He was the first Level E to accept the surgery, and for it to be a success. That's about all I know, though. I wasn't there when Mister was there."

Kaname sighed. Every time he thought he was getting closer to the truth, it was ripped away from him. "Thank you, Zero." Kaname smiled slightly.

Zero raised an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything. If it wasn't for Naoko, I wouldn't have even known you were trapped inside Mister's maze."

"But you had heard about that?"

"Naoko warned me about Mister's mind, telling that I need to be good. Apparently everyone that acted out was sent there, and when they returned they weren't the same. I was never sent there, and I never got the chance to meet him. As Naoko said, he disappeared a week before I arrived. And that all seems really strange to me." Zero sat on Kaname's desk, taking the note and reading it over again. "Mister seemed to not like the Abbey, and yet it appears as though he's still working for them. Why?"

Kaname shook his head. He honestly had no idea. When Zero returned, he was not expecting this kind of drama to follow the Hunter. "I have no idea, Zero. There are so many questions I've been asking myself, and I still have no answers. The introduction of Mister has just made this mess a whole lot worse."

"You know what's coming, don't you?" Zero asked over his shoulder, studying Kaname's face. He was certain the Pureblood didn't have dark circles beneath his eyes before.

"Death," Kaname muttered, looking up at Zero. "Death is coming to this school." He got to his feet, moved around his desk and stood in front of Zero. "Do you know what has begun?"

Zero stared at Kaname. "You know what has begun, Kaname. And if you want more information, I suggest you find the Abbey for yourself or ask Kura-chan. She knows a lot more than she is letting on."

Kaname gazed at the dark sky through the window. Everyone was telling him he knew what had begun, but none of them wanted to say it. Why was that? "Just tell me what has begun, Zero. Please."

Zero's mouth parted slightly. He couldn't recall the last time – if ever – that Kaname had said please to him. "The war has begun, Kaname."

* * *

End Proximity.

Special thanks to Danaeyl Panthernopaeus for the dream sequence. Took ya long enough to send it through!

Yeah, I know it's taking me for freaking ever to update this story, but I have a lot more going on. The discontinuation of one story, as well as waiting for the lazy Panther to send what he had done, and all the usual excuses that come with updating so late.  
Anyways, on to to my favorite part of these chapters!

**ben4keven:** Yeah, it had been a year. But I'm trying my hardest not to take that long for the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one.

**Cult Grade Koolaid:** Yeah, thanks for pointing that out! But it seemed to work in well with this chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one, too!

**xX-KiryuSame-xX:** Thanks for your review! Yeah, I tried not to hide that they were hybrids too much, otherwise people would have gotten bored and blah, blah, blah. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! And sorry for the long update!

**Guest/Saiyuki:** Thanks for that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**Thepreviouslydead:** I know, I know! I've been trying to get this chapter up for the last four months, at least. But as I said, my guest author took his sweet ass time. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to hearing from you!

**To everyone that alerted/favorited:** Thanks so much and I hope you enjoyed this update!

**To everyone else:** Please drop me a line, and tell me what you think!

Also, sorry if this chapter seemed a little rushed. I tried to push it out as quick as possible once I had the material I needed for it. I promise that the next one will be better, and will start to show a little more of the Kaname/Zero that I know you're DYING for. Crap, spoiler alert!

Until the next one, have a great day!

Peace.


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